My Mother's Daughter: A Memoir

For those of us who used to read Chatelaine during Rona Maynard's "reign" as Editor, reading My Mother's Daughter is like being re-united with an old friend.

Her writing is wonderful and her honest story of her relationship with her mother is inspiring.

Warning: it'll make you cry ...

My Mother's Daughter



I was taken by this book from the first pages - how well it was written, the frank and brutally honest way in which Rona was able to articulate her past, her story, her journey. It gave me new insights into my own relationship with my mother and the challenges we were able to overcome. It's a great read for anyone, even men(!) and is particularly enjoyable for those of us who are older than Barbie! I immediately passed it along to my mother and then to the other women in our circle - and all have really enjoyed it.



Here is what my mother had to say - she's 81, francophone…



Excellent! Ce que j'ai vraiment apprecié c'est qu'elle est tellement franche. Ils sont rares les enfants qui ont des mères extraordinaires. Sa mère était bonne cuisinière, elle était intelligente, elle aimait ses enfants. Elle n'était pas « the law of averages ». Comme le dit l'auteur « I am Rona because and in spite of my mother. » Les relations entre fille et mère sont tellement plus dificiles que les relations entre père et fils. J'ai vraiment aimé ce livre

My Mother's Daughter is a fascinating life story. Whether you are a mother, a daughter or both, you will find Rona's story both enjoyable and inspiring.

I thorouhly enjoyed this fascinating and honest examination of a mother-daughter relationship. The writing, like the story, sparkles. The voice that recounts the turbulent early years of Maynard's family of origin captures the deep unhappiness that lurked beneath the veneer of middle class life in a small university town. As the book progresses, a very resilient person emerges with the strength to carve out her own path in life as well as the grace and forgiveness to leave aside past disappointments and grievances. While most have not had such challenging family storms to navigate, the voyage of self-discovery is a familiar tale that most of us have to write for ourselves. Rona Maynard has shared her story in a very thoughtful and accessible way.

Like most women, I can't resist a daughter writing about her mother the person who haunts us from day l. Rona Maynard writes intimately and movingly about her deeply complex relationship with mom.

Rona's personal story - told with compassion and insight - quickly becomes a celebration of mother/daughter relationships, warts and all. This is a book to cherish - and a book to give to all the women you love.
Bravo Rona.

Rona's memoir is both thoughtful and thought-provoking, the kind of book that will linger in your mind for months.

A truly sincere tale of love and self-redemption (even biased though I am, since I had the privilege of interviewing Rona for the video interview). It addresses both universal issues and at the same time makes one pine for a sequel to explore this Rona's complex dicotomy of loving and resenting the strength of her indomitable mom.