My Mother's Daughter is a raw and honest intergenerational story of two-time Olympian Perdita Felicien and her mother, Catherine. Felicien is candid and open in her memoir as she details her mother's life in St. Lucia prior to immigrating to Canada and the struggles and challenges she faced while trying to gain citizenship. Felicien's upbringing, athletic career, and transition into journalism are told in tandem with Catherine's story.

My Mother's Daughter is equal parts inspiring and heartbreaking. Felicien writes, “I came to believe that every single person is a hurdler, even if they don’t know it. While most aren’t sprinting over literal fences, everyone has something to overcome. Sometimes we fall in our attempts, and that’s okay because there is always a reason to pick yourself up and move forward.” Before Felicien even knew what a hurdle was, she was jumping them with her mother. Despite the ill-treatment, abuse, and poverty, Catherine remained determined to make a better life for herself and her children on Canadian soil. Through it all, no matter the hurdle, they were her reason to keep moving forward.

This same tenacity and determination are evident in Felicien’s recount of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Readers will find themselves holding their breaths and at the edge of their seats as Felicien shares her side of the story and the events that unfolded in the aftermath of this pivotal moment in both her life and athletic career. She doesn't shy away from talking about the grief and devastation that followed, as well as her struggle to come to terms and make sense of it all. Felicien proves that she is her mother's daughter as she picked herself up and forges ahead just as her mother had during previous adversities.

Felicien's prose is clear, and the story easy to follow. Told in chronological order, My Mother's Daughter is divided into three parts, allowing the reader to easily situate where they are in Catherine's and Felicien's story. The admiration Felicien feels for her mother is evident on every page. My Mother's Daughter will give readers familiar with Felicien and her quest for Olympic gold a chance to see a different, more intimate side of the former track and field star.

**Originally written for and published by Cloud Lake Literary**

I liked this book! I felt like this was the daughter's story as much as the mother's story because they were so connected and affected by the actions of the other. I thought the perspective of Perdita with the track career early on for was so interesting to me -- everyone else wanting it for her and cheering her on and she was very noncommittal. But, in reading the story, I was able to understand her mentality. There was so much packed into this memoir and I enjoyed reading it!

As an avid Canadian sports follower, I know of Perdita Felicien, but I never knew her back story or family life. And after reading this book (and many other bio's) I’m very much aware of the fact that the most talented of people come from very harsh or challenging backgrounds. And Perdita and her mother fall into this theory. This book is divided into 3 parts – Starting with Catherine’s life in St. Lucia and her brave move to Canada; the family’s unstable life and Perdita’s introduction into running; and finally, Perdita’s move to Chicago and her ranks among the greatest hurdlers in college and Canadian history.

Although, at first, this book is fascinating, it’s easy to imagine that their life was as stable as a 7.0 earthquake.
At their lowest point, Catherine struggled to find stable employment to feed her growing family, and there were times where the children are witness to physical and mental abuse. After spending some time in a women’s shelter (this is was only a temporary solution), and with all options exhausted, the family is forced to leave the shelter and back into the arms of her on/off again partner.

Part 3 is mostly Perdita's success on the track, but it's also the parallel between mother and daughter. All the hard work and determination of both women to raise themselves to their best selves. Perdita training and honing to reach international greatness, and Catherine at almost at the age of 40, simultaneously getting her high school diploma and Heath Care Aide certificate.

Essentially, this is the incredible story of one woman’s move to a foreign country, raising her growing family while enduring racism and abuse. And by the end you see both Catherine and Perdita living a very different lives from when they first started.

Wonderfully written and absorbing. Perfect as a buddy read with some best girl-friends, or mother figure.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Double Day Canada for the inspiring read.

In this memoir Perdita Felicien recounts the life of her mother, an immigrant from St. Lucia and then her own life and career as a Canadian world champion hurdler. Her mother Catherine, was forced to leave school very early in order to sell trinkets to tourists to help support her family. Still in her teens she had two children and managed to find a job babysitting for wealthy tourists, who eventually brought her to Canada to be their nanny. She left her own children behind with her parents. The book documents her mother's struggles with poverty and the sacrifices she made so that Perdita, her third child and first born in Canada, could succeed. Perdita discovered her talent for hurdles when a running coach urged her to try the sport. The latter half of the book recounts her successes and failures in the sport and the important role her mother played in her life. This is a fascinating memoir and a great recommendation for readers interested in the immigrant experience. I really enjoyed it.

I remember watching Perdita Felicien in the 2004 Summer Olympics, I remember knowing she was the favorite to win Gold, I remember what happened, and that was all I knew about her.

I was quite surprised by how quickly I was taken by this book.
The struggles of her mother as a young girl, coming to Canada, trying to build a better life for her children.
I could not put it down.
From the first page to the last I was a part of this family.

I have never heard of Perdita Felicien. Her memoir is a great story. She follows the strong women in her family to persevere over adversity. She details her mother’s move to Canada, tumultuous relationships, and her own career as a collegiate and professional athlete. I could feel,the adrenaline as she was ready to launch off the starting block. I experienced her most devastating disappointment right alongside her. Felicien is a testament to hard work, talent, and single minded determination. It’s an inspiring read.