Alice Hoffman has a beautiful way of writing. This was a short story yet didn’t lack depth. It wrapped up enough for a short story, but I would love to read this as a full novel to see where it goes when and if she finds Julia.

Hoffman is a masterful writer. While this is a short story, it is certainly powerful.

Summary:
In this haunting short story of loyalty and betrayal, a young woman in early 1900s Massachusetts discovers that in navigating her treacherous coming-of-age, she must find her voice first.

For fatefully observant Adeline, growing up carries an ominous warning from her adulterous mother: don’t say a word. Adeline vows to never speak again. But that’s not her only secret. After her mother takes a housekeeping job at a lighthouse off the tip of Cape Ann, a local woman vanishes. The key to the mystery lies with Adeline, the silent witness.

At a glance this seems like a retelling of a familiar story- girl left with an evil stepmother. But here we have an evil mother and a her daughter, who decides to stop speaking after experiencing a horrible loss. I found myself rooting for Adeline as she slowly started to trust others when she couldn’t trust her own mother. Despite it’s short length, this story is haunting and captivating.

I was fortunate to obtain an advance copy of this from Amazon Original through NetGalley.

OH MY, Alice, you sure know how to tell a story! I absolutely loved this short story about a young girl, in the 1900's, who stops talking after her father passes away. Her mother is not a very nice person and well, you must read this story, you will not be disappointed!

My thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for this advanced readers copy. This book was released in December 2019.

Don’t let the title fool you…

The title was a turn-off, as I assumed this short story would be a mom and daughter chummy-chummy love fest. 1, I’ve had enough of those Hallmark-y stories, and 2, I can’t relate. But boy was I wrong. This is a story about a nice girl with a bad mom. Mom and 12-year-old Adeline (named after a bar of soap) live on an isolated island off Massachusetts in the early 1900s. The story seemed like it could be set in any time period; not sure why it was the old days.

I’m not going to reveal anything about the story, other than to say we all wished mom would behave herself.

I’ve read earlier Hoffman, and I like her writing. Sometimes you know a writer by her style, but honestly, I couldn’t recognize this story as being written by her. Regardless, this is a well-written story with a clever and endearing character. I didn’t want it to end. Great ending, too. I’d love it if Hoffman would write a novel with Adeline as its star.

There were a few duplicate sentences; I’m assuming the errors were fixed before publication.

Check it out. It’s only $1.99 on Kindle (free with Prime). It’s money well spent.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.

A daughter's response to her father's death is silence. Adeline has nothing good to say to her mother, so she says nothing. But, she finds that life is what you make of it, friends included. The story is a short read, about 90 minutes for me. It was a unique journey with a young woman who frees herself in the end.

This novella read like a modern fairy tale, with a sweet little girl at the center of the story. She does not have an evil stepmom, but sadly it is her biological mother that makes life tough for her. When she lose her beloved father, she also loses her voice. The rest of the story will show her journey towards finding her voice and emancipation.

Alice Hoffman succeeds once again in creating a heartfelt story of found families, second chances, and the power of speaking the truth. It teaches the importance of knowing one’s self-worth and not letting people to use and abuse you. I only wish it was longer, because I’d love to know more about our little heroine Adeline. I can only imagine great things waiting for her beyond the pages.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Everything My Mother Taught Me” is told from a child’s point of view. Adeline Ivey is only twelve for most of the story, but in the tradition of fiction told from a child’s perspective, she is wise beyond her years. Perhaps her wisdom benefits from hindsight, although Adeline’s age at the time she tells the story is unclear. The narrative voice is distinctly Alice Hoffman’s and it does not match a twelve-year-old whose education has been minimal. It is therefore fair to assume that Adeline is telling the story at a later stage in her life. Still, Adeline portrays herself as having a deeper understanding of human nature than would be typical of a child raised in relative isolation.

The story is set in 1908, a time when women who felt unconstrained by the bounds of matrimony might have been termed promiscuous, or worse. Adeline tells us that her mother Nora “ruined my father’s life, and mine, and she didn’t seem to notice.” Nora did so by keeping company with men in the local tavern rather than her husband, who dies a quiet death while his wife is enjoying the attention of other men. None of Nora’s boyfriends want the burden of supporting a widow, so Nora is forced to take a job as a lighthouse keeper on a small rocky island near Boston.

For reasons of her own, Adeline stopped speaking after her father died. Her silence does not seem to trouble the island dwellers, some of whom she befriends. Eventually she gives advice and comfort to a married friend named Julie, who for some reason decides to confide in a mute twelve-year-old, perhaps because muteness assures that her secrets will not be revealed. In any event, the heart of the story concerns a conspiracy between Adeline and Julie, largely planned by Adeline, to save Julie from her abusive husband.

Alice Hoffman writes with quiet grace. The story ends in a satisfying way that instills warm feelings toward Adeline without relying on contrivances to manipulate the reader’s emotions — save perhaps for Adeline’s willful muteness, a character trait that is surprisingly unoriginal. In all other respects, however, I admire Hoffman’s restraint. “Everything My Mother Taught Me” does just enough to make its point — even a child can make and implement a life-altering decision, one that the child will intuitively know to be correct — without trying to do too much. I didn’t entirely buy Adeline’s silence or the setup, but I nevertheless enjoyed the story, and that’s what counts.

RECOMMENDED

Everything My Mother Taught Me by Alice Hoffman is a short story.

 First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Amazon Original Stories,  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

It is the early 1900's.  Twelve-year old Adeline takes a vow of silence when her beloved father dies.  Her mother, an adulterous b****, takes her daughter to a remote island where she takes a job as a housekeeper for the lighthouse.  She also starts an affair with another woman's husband.  On the other hand, Adeline blossoms.

Adeline becomes close to Julia, whose husband Rowan is now getting his kicks elsewhere.  Together, Adeline and Julia hatch a plan.

 
My Opinions:  

This is one of five stories (all by different authors), in the "Inheritance" Collection of Amazon Short Stories.  They are all about secrets within families, and the consequences that come from those secrets.

As always, Alice Hoffman has created characters that you either love or hate.  Even in such a short story, these characters have depth.

Bottom line....the story is good!

I enjoyed this short novella.
Taking place in the early 1900's this is truly a story of sadness, resilience and hope for Adeline. She is a mute, but knows all secrets and there are plenty of secrets to be told.
Truly would love to continue on Adeline's journey to see how things continue to unfold and am hoping for more with these characters! I have a feeling that this young woman will be telling a whole lot as time moves forward!

This is the first short story I’ve received from netgalley. I’m not a fan of short stories, but I’ll read anything by Alice Hoffman. The story has an almost fairy tale quality to it. Hoffman’s stories often contain a bit of magic realism. This one is pure historic fiction, but maybe because of the setting and an evil mother, I still felt the fairy tale atmosphere.

The story takes place in 1907. Adeline’s mother is a total narcissist. After the death of her husband, she’s forced to take a job as a cleaner for two lighthouses on a remote island. Adeline stopped speaking after the death of her father. This is a conscious choice, a rebellion against her mother. Her mother might not care about her, but that doesn’t mean no one does. This was a wonderful tale. It’s the first in a series of five short stories Hoffman is writing and I look forward to the rest.

My thanks to netgalley and Amazon Publishing for an advance copy.

Lyrical and atmospheric. A story of the dysfunctional relationship between mother and daughter. A story of perseverance and endurance., of calculation and reasoning.....a beautiful triumph. A lovely young lady, our Adeline.

The description of this story makes it sound more like a mystery or thriller/suspense. It way more simple than that. A young girl has a terrible mother and she wants to be done with her so she teams up with the wife of the man her mother is having an affair with to be rid of her mother. I don't like short stories really because...short. This one wasn't exciting. It was written well however and I'm still a Hoffman stan.

Read 12/17/19 – 12/19/19

This is a short story that follows a young girl with a negligent and abusive (mentally and physically) mother. We follow her as she struggles to cope with having to live with the atrocious human she has for a mother. This makes for a rich family drama that I love to read. It is all about the characters, their motivations, and their struggles. As a story, I think it works well. Hoffman takes the time to get us invested in the characters so that we care what is going on. Then she uses that in the climax of the story as the mother-daughter dynamic reaches its limit.

The only problem I had with the story was with the pacing. More specifically, the ending felt rushed. We spent so much time getting to the point where we were. Then Hoffman rushes to reach some type of resolution. As I read, I remember wondering if there was going to even be a conclusion or if the story was just the messed-up mother-daughter situation. Then comes the abrupt ending. This probably would have been resolved by taking more time to draw out the ending. Sure, it makes for a fast paced end, but it needs to meld with everything that preceded it.

All in all, it was a really good story, and I appreciate the opportunity to review it! 4/5 stars

This is a 28 page short story that I was able to enjoy quite quickly. Easily the best short story that I have read in 2019...I am now looking forward to reading the Inheritance series because of this first reading.

Thank you Netgalley for extending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Excellent short story - atmospheric, relational, and a bit of a surprise. Left me wanting so much more. Alice Hoffman gets to me every time.

Oh, I wish this had been a full novel. Amazing that Hoffman was able to squeeze so much substance into 30 pages. Hoping, maybe, this could turn into a novel? I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed. Well, worth the few minutes it takes to read.

Adeline takes a vow of silence prior to moving to a island in the middle of nowhere in the 1900's. Her mother is to take a job as a cleaner in a lighthouse and begins at affair with one of the lighthouse keepers.. Adeline is friends with the wife and has to decide what to do as the wife is being beaten and must get away. This was a short shory about what occurs. There was not much to the story, however definitely showcased the author's strength as a writer. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded down to 4 stars

‘Everything My Mother Taught Me’ by Alice Hoffman is one of five short stories in the Inheritance series. It was such a well-crafted short story from a master storyteller. We meet Adeline and her abusive and self-centered mother at the beginning of this tale. If you are like me, you quickly find yourself aligned and rooting for Adeline as the duo moves out to a remote lighthouse island.

Adeline is intelligent and plucky. She’s not about to be put down or stifled by her mother despite her mother’s cruelty to her. I can’t describe much more about the story without giving the plot away. The main flaw with this book in my opinion was that it was too short! I wonder if this is a jumping off spot for a new novel. Readers can hope, can’t they?

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Amazon Original Stories; and the author, Alice Hoffman for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I immediately loved twelve year Adeline and was broken hearted for her from the first sentence. “There are those who insist that mothers are born with love for their children and place them before all other things, including their own needs and desires. This was not the case with us.” This is a short and beautifully written story about a young girl in the early 1900’s New England trying to find her way in a world given what she knows. I can't say too much about it since it is a short story, but this is a well written tale of a mother-daughter relationship that is compulsive reading and so gripping. My only problem was that it was short! Otherwise, highly recommended!

My Mother is not my friend
When twelve year old Adeline's father dies she moves with her mother to an Island with a lighthouse where her mother was to cook and do laundry and cleaning. Adeline never spoke a word out loud after her father died.

when her mother begin having an affair with Rowan, one of the lighthouse keepers, Adeline made friends with his wife Julia. She wrote on a paper to communicate.

The story goes on to tell what happened to Julia, Adeline, Rowan and Adeline's mom. How justice was served and Julia and Adeline took control of their lives.

It was a good short story. The story of a girl, her relationship with her mother, and her friendship with Julia. It is a very short story , the ending was sudden and they story seemed rushed. It was very good and very well written. It would make a good book.

If you like short stories you might like to read this.

Thanks to Alice Hoffman, Amazon Original Stories, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this story.