Feature and Follow Friday



Wow, how fast has this week gone by? I've been a bit too busy formatting files and creating book covers to do much blogging this week, (plus you know, there are the usual dramas surrounding my life, a complete lack of sleep, extra hours at work ...) Anyway, the good news is I'm online now and it's time for Feature and Follow Friday, a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkie's View designed to help book bloggers meet and connect. This week's all important question is:

Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother's Day. In celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?


Strangely enough, I was thinking about Little Women by Louisa May Alcott while I was on my way home from work this evening and the relationship that Marmee March has with her daughters. I like the way that she treats all four of her daughters as individuals and allows them to grow and blossom. In Australia, Little Women is published in two volumes - the first, leading up to where Mr March returns from the war is titled Little Women. The second volume titled Good Wives, where three of the daughters marry (Beth of course, dies young,) has a wonderful part in it, where Jo (my favourite of the March sisters) tries to reconcile with the fact that she will probably die a spinster. Marmee offers her these words of wisdom:
"There are plenty to love you, so try to be satisfied with father and mother, sisters and brothers, friends and babies, till the best lover of all comes forward to give you your reward."
Marmee is, of course, right. Jo eventually marries a German man and finds her niche, running a boarding school. It just takes her a little longer than her sisters. Now, I don't think that all woman should have to marry or that people who are married are automatically happier, but I love the suggestion here that in life, all things do eventually fall into place and that sometimes we just have to be patient and think of the good things we already have until then.

Comments

Ethan said…
Interesting thoughts! It seems quite difficult for me to think of a novel with a strong mother-daughter relationship, but lots easier to think of a father-son one. Perhaps this is because I'm a guy?

Speaking of parent-child relationships, you may be interested in my giveaway of The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveny. It is the story of a young woman's struggle to practice medicine in the male dominated society of the late 1500's and about her journey to discover the secret of her missing father.

I am also offering a fun mystery, Bitter Legacy by H. Terrell Griffin, about a retired lawyer who gets caught up in a conspiracy. Please do check either one out if they interest you.

Thanks for your fantastic blog!
-Ethan
http://e135-abookaweek.blogspot.com/
11 May 2012 at 22:05
Kathryn White said…
Hi Ethan, thanks for the heads up and the awesome link. I agree, maybe it's easier for guys to think of books with a father-son relationship.

(Feel free to prove us wrong though, bloggers!)
11 May 2012 at 22:22
Lauren@ The Housework Can Wait said…
Love this! Little Women was my first pick too:-) Marmee is such a strong and loving mother. Beautiful example.

Old follower.

Here's my FF!
11 May 2012 at 23:17
fakesteph said…
I never actually finished Little Women.... I KNOW!!! I feel guilty just saying that! :)
12 May 2012 at 00:57
Kathryn White said…
Thank you Lauren. I think Marmee is a wonderful mother figure. Will view your FF in a moment!
12 May 2012 at 17:20
Kathryn White said…
Never mind, fakesteph. It would be a pretty boring world if we all read and loved the same books.
12 May 2012 at 17:21
Catie said…
Little Women was one of mine too!

new follower :)
My FF
13 May 2012 at 09:42
Kathryn White said…
Excellent! I shall have to check out your link.
13 May 2012 at 12:38
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