Wondering what your next book should be for book club well look no further Mother Mother is it. It covers all the bases for a well-versed group discussion: adoption, family, marriage, motherhood and privilege. Jessica O'Dwyer first novel Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir is based on her adoption of her daughter from Guatemala in the face of overwhelming adversity. I assume she used her knowledge from her experiences as the background here. O’Dwyer shows us the realities of adoption. I found that to be very educational and heartbreaking. At the same time, she does a great job for tourism for Guatemala. The story is told with alternating points of view a woman with white privilege and a woman living in impoverished Guatemalan. This is an excellent read. I highly recommend it!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reading copy

Well written story. Kept me engaged the entire time. A page turner for sure! Looking forward to reading more books by this author!

Mother Mother a novel by Jessica O'Dwyer
In this artfully written novel 'Mother Mother', Jessica O'Dwyer explores the emotions, the joys, and the travails of two women, desperately trying to be mothers. One, a white American, becomes a mother through adoption, and the other, an indigenous Ixil Maya woman, by giving birth to a beautiful boy. Their stories-- a mixed race adoption and an impoverished Guatemalan life-- are interwoven in the narrative as each mother tries to discover who she is and how to mother. 'Mother Mother' gives you a real glimpse into the realities of adoption, the power of love, and the joys of becoming a mother. Highly recommeneded.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reading copy.

A book that looks at adoption through two mother's eyes...the eyes of a birth mother and and adoptive mother, this book is a captivating read for anyone interested in the fabric of adoption. The story weaves back and forth between the adoptive mom and the birth mom so the reader sees how each feels, how each lives, after an adoption. I definitely recommend it for anyone who has adopted or is contemplating adoption.

This is a wonderfully written book detailing the journey of adoption of a child from Guatemala by American parents.
It is harrowing in places and quite graphic - especially when you encounter the 'other' mother's story.
The story is well written, the characters are detailed and rich and the ending of the story ties both of the characters' stories together.

I look forward to reading more from Jessica O'Dwyer.