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Celebrating moms

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Contributed by: Ioanna Athanasopoulos on 4/25/2007

by Joyce Deming, information services librarian, Golden Library

Contrary to popular opinion, Mother's Day was not created by the greeting card or floral industries! Celebrations honoring mothers go back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the U.S., President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill in 1914 establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. And while it may seem that depressing books about mothers and their dysfunctional families dominate the publishing world these days, there are still lots of tender, funny and uplifting books out there. Here are just a few:

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris is an absorbing novel about three generations of Native American women. As each woman tells her story, the seemingly careless choices made by the others begin to make sense. Another excellent intergenerational novel is the perennial favorite The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. She has written a number of books since this one, but I still think this is her best. On a more humorous note, I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson is the story of a working mom trying to juggle her high-profile career with mothering her two small children. Her struggle to keep it all together will strike a chord with all working moms.

In Praise of Mothers, edited by Lilly Golden, is a collection of short literary works focusing on the complexity of the relationships between mother and child. Its contributors include Louise Erdrich, Alice Walker, Pearl S. Buck and Jane Goodall. In a similar work, author Eugenia Zukerman invited more than 40 accomplished women to reminisce about their mothers' closets. The resulting book, In My Mother's Closet, is a loving tribute to mothers.

Books about strong mothers keeping their families together despite overwhelming odds are perennial favorites. Author Terry Ryan immortalizes one such mother in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. Terry's mother, Evelyn, had ten children and supplemented her alcoholic husband's earnings by entering promotional contests. She won food, appliances and even the down payment on a house with her jingles, essays and poems.

Novelist Anne Lamont has written a wonderfully funny and poignant memoir of her experiences as a single mother in her book, Operating Instructions. Even non-parents will enjoy her candor and quirky humor. More remembrances of motherhood can be found in Child of Mine, edited by Christina Baker Kline. It's a wonderful collection of essays by a number of well-known authors.

Any book list about moms would be incomplete without mentioning some of the beautifully illustrated children's books. Here are three of my favorites: Wishes for You by Tobi Tobias, Monster Mama by Liz Rosenberg, and Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse. The stories are wonderful and the artwork will delight you.

You can check out these books and more at any Jefferson County Public Library location. Look for them on our web site at http://jefferson.lib.co.us, or talk to your librarian for more reading suggestions.

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Ioanna Athanasopoulos

Lakewood , CO

Ioanna Athanasopoulos has posted 195 stories and 0 comments since joining on 4/20/2006. Ioanna Athanasopoulos 's average story rating is 5.

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