What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About is a series of essays written by those who feel
certain feelings towards their mothers, whether their estranged or close, all essays convey
different emotions. Many are about their mothers’ pasts, while others are about their mothers’
not being there when their children needed them. Many are long, while others are short. The
essays are deeply personal but let the reader have a small glimpse into the writers’ lives. A
collection of essays, spanning from abusive stepfathers to ignorant mothers, all beautifully
written.
This book wasn’t all that bad. I loved how it started, with the essays being very personal
and interesting. I loved how all the different writing styles and all the different situations, as it
showed individuality in a creative light. However, I do have some issues, as the people made it
very clear about their political views. Also, the title can be a bit misleading at times, because the
essays were mostly all over the place and randomly selected. At times, the writing didn’t make
sense, as it shifted from third person to first person in the same essay. Despite all the
grammatical mistakes, I do have to say that it’s very brave to speak about topics as sensitive
topics such as these, as it is hard to confront parental figures. The beginning was great for me,
and I could relate to most of it, but as I read on, the essays became more about the writers
themselves rather than their mothers. This was a good read, but I wish the book as stuck to the
title more.