Is it just me, or is intergenerational trauma the new black? With a small handful of exceptions, it’s been the driver of almost every book I’ve read since July (and not just the obvious ones, like Madwoman. Even a book like The Ministry of Time, which is basically Bill and Ted meets Mission Impossible, has the fingerprints of intergenerational trauma all over it). To be clear, this is not a complaint—it’s just interesting how I keep reaching for these books, most of the time without even realizing the thematic throughline that connects them.

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger explores this theme in a very direct way, focusing as it does on young writer Grace Maier’s attempts to understand her unknowable, distant mother, Lila Pereira, by uncovering the truth about Zelda, the long-dead (or is she? Lila and Grace disagree on this crucial point) grandmother Grace never met, whose disappearance when Lila was young shapes everything that follows.

Though Lila dies on the very first page (in the very first line, in fact) her snap, crackle, and pop dialogue and non-conformity made me want to stay with her, which is no small accomplishment (it’s more challenging to muster concern for a character when you know—or at least think you do—their whole story at the outset). But Rieger made it easy to get invested (asked to get her boss a coffee on her second day on the job as an obituary writer, Lila grabs her purse and starts walking out. “I’m a reporter…If you want a waitress, repost the job.” #Bless).

Lila’s career soars and she finds herself at the top of her field, celebrated and feared/disliked in equal measure. But her childhood was the stuff of nightmares (left with father, Lila and her siblings suffer endless abuse), and career success isn’t the magic eraser of childhood trauma, making Lila as decisive about not wanting kids as she is about not fetching coffee. Understandable, no?

But what happens when a woman who doesn’t want children loves a man who does? Is it a crime to choose to hold onto that love by becoming a mother in, essentially, name only? To have children, but then not behave in a mother-y way?

Spoiler alert: Grace sure seems to think so, and I suspect some readers will too.

When I pick up a book, I'm interested in things like the quality of the line level writing and how compelling the story is. My enjoyment of it isn’t based on whether I agree with the choices the protagonist makes and how they behave, except insofor as these things are relevant to the story and plausible based on what the author has shown us about them. I have yet to read any reviews of this one, but I’m predicting that when I do, much will be made of Lila’s likeability (or, more accurately, lack thereof) based on the choices she's made in her life.
And when that happens, I am going to be (as I am every time this issue comes up) very annoyed about some readers’ inability to muster up a shred of empathy for characters who’ve been through things they themselves will (with luck) never have to experience. Particularly given that it's precisely those choices of Lila's that make the story compelling and create the opportunity for Rieger to give her some (maybe even most) of the book's best lines (it's really too bad Katherine Hepburn isn't still around to play her in the adaptation).

One last prediction: I see Like Mother, Like Mother making for some lively book club discussion once it makes its way into readers’ hands.

This book was a letdown for me. I struggled to connect to any of the characters. The dialogue all seemed stiff and unrealistic. The plot dragged out. I kept going because I wanted to know what happened, but it never paid off.

Thank you @netgalley and @thedialpress for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this one! Like Mother, Like Mother is a character-driven multigenerational family story with intricate relationships. The author captures the complexities of the relationships beautifully. Well written. The book jumps around different timelines but the transitions were flawless.

I loved this story. I’m going to miss the characters! I ‘d recommend this to anyone who enjoys character-driven novels and reading about mother/daughter relationships.

4.5 stars!! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you @thedialpress for the ARC of Like Mother, Like Mother by @susanriegerauthor. As usual with me, I didn't exactly know what this book was going into it, but, well, I tend to judge books by their covers and this looked great!

I was so surprised and happy to see that the family is a Jewish family! It's great to feel represented in a book and Ms. Rieger really nailed it - although there was one item that seems factually incorrect but maybe it's part of her tradition??.

Anyways, back to the plot. The story starts with the matriarch of the family dying and the subsequent search for what really happened to the matriarch's mother. Ms. Reiger digs into all the different ways a mother might "mother" and how some men are willing to fill in the gaps that occur when a mother takes less of a traditional motherly role. I also like how she counters the narrative of how a mother should be when Grace's college friend Ruth suggests that the same behavior from her mom wouldn't be thought anything of if it were her father. Also enjoyed her comparison and contrast of family histories and attitudes through the use of Ruth and her interest in journalism.

A great saga and then in the last 20ish% of the book - buckle your seat belts because it really takes off!

Great story - kudos!

#LikeMotherLikeMother #NetGalley

Although the novel opens with the untimely death of Lila Pereira, Lila — who was toasted at her retirement as “indomitable, unstoppable, incomparable, unforgettable” — is a vibrant character who fortunately occupies all of the succeeding pages. Lila’s father, Aldo, was a violent and abusive man, who detested Lila because he couldn’t beat her into submission. Aldo had committed Lila’s mother, Zelda, to an asylum when Lila was only two. Lila and her older siblings, Polo and Clara, never saw their mother again. Bubbe, Aldo’s immigrant mother, ran the house for her only child. When Lila was ten, Aldo told his children that Zelda had died.

Lila recounted that the only good thing in her childhood, other than her siblings, were the movies. Nonetheless, she ruthlessly managed her journalistic career, rising to the pinnacle of American media as The Washington Globe’s executive editor. In 2018, Lila exposed the corrupt President’s pay-to-play scheme — where he sold the ambassadorships to all the embassies in Western Europe — and brought him and his two hapless sons down.

Lila’s spiky and seductive Globe personality contrasted with her nonchalant and intermittent mothering. Lila relied on her husband Joe Maier, a successful lawyer who met Lila in 1976 when she was a college freshman, nannies, and au pairs to raise her three daughters, Stella, Ava, and Grace. Lila claimed that they didn’t need a mother because they had Joe. “They need me not to harm them.” After thirty years of marriage, and with their elder daughters at Stanford law school and Grace at the University of Chicago, Joe asked Lia for a divorce. Joe would no longer tolerate how Lila had repeatedly let he and their daughters down. Although Joe refused to continue to play second fiddle to Lila’s career, they remained devoted to one another until Lila’s untimely death.

The next section of the book hones in on Grace who, along with her wealthy and wise paternal grandmother, Frances, recounts the family history for Grace’s college roommate, brilliant scholarship student, Ruth McGowan. Grace, a successful reporter who breaks the story of a college admissions scandal, writes a roman a clef, “The Lost Mother,” about her family, and embarks on various relationships, including a serious romance with Ruth’s husband’s twin brother. In the final section of the novel, Ruth honors her mother’s dying wish that she explore what happened to Zelda.

Rieger has crafted a highly entertaining novel that showcases several remarkable women. Although her novel tackles some dark themes, including complex parental relationships and inherited trauma, Rieger doesn't let the darker parts of her story detract from her robust storytelling, which features satiric, yet astute, observations on culture and politics. Thank you Will Lyman at Dial Press and Net Galley for an advance copy of this vibrant portrait of a modern family.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Dial Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this novel by Susan Rieger. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

IN 1960, Lila Pereira is just 2 years old, with an older brother and sister, when their abusive father has her mother committed to an asylum in 1960. Lila never sees her mother again; years later, he tells the children that she died there. Decades later, she is at the peak of her career as executive editor of The Washington Post. She prioritized her career, leaving childcare to her husband, Joe. Grace, their youngest, feels abandoned and wishes for a different type of mother. Grace becomes a reporter and writes a book about her childhood and becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Zelda, Lila's mother.

This is a wonderful character study and domestic drama wrapped into one highly-readable book. It would be a good book club pick, with so much to discuss - motherhood, parenthood, marriage, ambition, and past trauma. This book explores how their upbringing affected three women of different generations. It's an exploration of how things have changed between men and women, yet how many things have remained the same. When Lila works nonstop and leaves childrearing to her husband, it's scandalous, yet it's the norm when reversed. Grace feels compelled to find out what happened to her grandmother, thinking that she can't know who she is unless she knows where she came from. But will that knowledge bring her peace or closure? Great book!

Like Mother, Like Mother is a captivating multigenerational family drama featuring three strong women: Lila, an indomitable newspaper editor, her daughter Grace, and her mother Zelda. Lila’s father committed Zelda to a mental institution when Lila was a toddler. Lila never sees her mother again, and her father claims Zelda died by suicide. Lila overcomes a childhood full of trauma and abuse to rise through the ranks of an elite journalism career. She marries Joe and they have three daughters, but Lila is not particularly motherly or attached, and youngest daughter Grace feels neglected and resentful. As Grace embarks on her own career as a reporter, she feels compelled to dig into the history of Zelda’s story and what really happened after she was committed to the asylum.

I loved this character-driven and compelling story! There’s a large cast of characters and many interwoven plot threads spanning many years, but I found it easy to keep track of everyone. The characters are complex and each of the FMCs is unlikeable in her own way, but as a working mother myself, I often found Lila relatable even when I didn’t like her. There’s so much thought-provoking material here, including themes of what makes a mother, gender roles and societal expectations, generational trauma, and nature vs. nurture. This book would be perfect for book clubs because it offers so much to discuss! Also a great fit for fans of Ann Napolitano and Claire Lombardo.

Many thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

This is a sweeping family story that unravels elegantly. It keeps you hooked on the characters from the first page. It is such a lovely family story. This would be a wonderful book club book.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for a copy of this novel. It is out today!

I recently read Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger. This is a story about families. Specifically, we follow Zelda, Lila and Grace. Zelda is the grandmother who has an abusive husband. We learn about Zelda's past, including that her husband has had Zelda hauled off to an asylum. He tells their children the difficult news, later following up with the fact that she has died there. We also encounter Zelda's daughter, Lila, grown up and a woman with power. She runs a major newspaper in Washington. Married to her work, Lila's children and husband suffer. Finally, we follow Lila's daughter Grace. Grace resents her mother's career and the attention that it stole from her. There is a bit of a mystery that, once answered, really emphasizes the practices and traits that are passed down. Are those actions repeated from generation to generation or purposefully changed?

I read books of all kinds but primarily thrillers. Sadly, although my favorite to purchase and read, thriller stories become hard for me to remember. Ultimately, most years my favorite book is not a thriller but something far more character driven. Like Mother, Like Mother may be my favorite for the year. The writing is wonderful, telling the story fully but without dwelling on the unnecessary. The characters, well, I don't think I'll ever forget them. If you can finish this book without shedding sad and happy tears, then you have far more control than I do. Enthralling from beginning to end, I loved every second.

Many, MANY, thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. You made my reading year!

What makes one a Good Mother? Spanning many decades, each part of Like Mother, Like Mother explores this central question, highlighting a different woman from the Pereira family as they navigate this messy thing called life.

While Like Mother, Like Mother is about family, love and loss, secrets and lies, it is primarily character-driven. I prefer books with a more active plot. When each section switched to a new POV, I thought it felt like a different book. The novel does an excellent job exploring themes of motherhood, careers and generational trauma. Is each mother a hero or a villain? What are mothers expected to sacrifice for the next generation? What makes them selfish? I enjoyed the smart and thoughtful discussions I had about the book more than my actual reading experience. I wish the author had spent more time delving into the backstory of certain main characters (there is one story rushed through toward the end because it is the big mystery of the book) rather than as much prime time given to side characters that I didn't find necessary. Still, it definitely would make a wonderful selection for book club discussions because there is so much to talk about!

One thing about me is that I love a multigenerational story, and I especially love it when it focuses on mothers and daughters and their relationships. i try to not make it a huge part of my personality, but as an eldest daughter of an eldest daughter of an eldest daughter, the synopsis of this was right up my alley.
I will say that this was very weirdly engaging at first with how realistic it was - i do think, however, that the writing style and dialogue feels more dated than how it’s meant to be read - Lila grows up in the 60’s and she still talks like she’s in the 60’s, if not older, if that makes sense. all the talk about the presidential elections threw me off but I digress, lol. speaking of lila, I didn’t find her particularly engaging or likable, but she was incredibly realistic. She is very much a career woman and is a powerful, power-driven woman who puts motherhood on the very very very back burner. She was abandoned by her own mother so now, of course, it’s her turn to do the same to her daughter.
Grace feels scorned and abandoned, so she makes the most out of falling under her mother’s shadow - she becomes a reporter, a writer, playing into the likes of her own mother. Her whole life centers around Lila, except her life isn’t particularly interesting. Unfortunate, because the majority of the book follows her - I found Lila much more engaging despite how unlikable literally everyone in this book was.
Personally very weird timing to read this with how political it got (and how politically-motivated the author seems to be? Like obviously that’s Lila’s whole career so of course there’s a ton of politics talk, but it feels very intentional), I didn’t really relate to any of the characters so I wasn’t super engaged with the story despite the premise having elements that really intrigued me, and I found this very dialogue-heavy, which I would usually love and enjoy, but I feel like it made this feel much more dense than it needed to be. I’m not mad at this book, and I do think it has some compelling parts to it, but it wasn’t really what I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

Like Mother, Like Mother drew me in with the idea that the content would be about mother daughter relationships. Susan Rieger did not disappoint. Really well done.

This was my favorite read of the fall and has thrown me into a reading slump because I expect every book to have excellent characterization and dialogue like this novel. I will be doing a better review this weekend, but this is a must read especially if you enjoy dysfunctional family dramas.

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger is the story of three generations of strong Jewish women who seem to defy the norm.

The story begins in Detroit and segues to Washington, D.C., New York City, and LA, with Chicago and Tallahassee also having important roles. The story is told in three parts, all with interesting chapter titles. It is told first by Lila, then by Grace, her youngest daughter, and then by Zelda, Lila’s mother and Grace’s grandmother.

Lila was raised by her father and his mother, along with her older brother and sister. Her mother was institutionalized by her husband, Lila’s father, and then died eight years later. But there seems to be a mystery surrounding her death. Their lives were altered when Lila was two, and she suffered injuries and beatings from her father to protect her siblings. She did well in life but did not let others in. Lila and her husband, Joe, had a loving marriage in their own way, but he was both mother and father to their three daughters while Lila was a workaholic and rarely home. Her hard work paid off, but at whose expense?

Grace was more introverted but became a writer like her mother. She didn’t have much of a relationship with her older sisters, who everyone considered twins for a multitude of reasons, and her personality was a lot like Lila’s. Joe’s mother, the heir to GM, was a force to be reckoned with in her home that Lila dubbed Tara. But the family’s visits there were always special. Grace and her college roommate had a strong bond, although Ruth was raised in Florida by a single mother who had herself been raised by a single mother. Ruth became part of their family and played an important role in the story.

Zelda’s story was interesting in showcasing how strong she was, given the time period the story was set. She reinvented herself, and everyone else be damned. There were repercussions later in life that she faulted Grace for since Grace had written a fictionalized book based on their family and took liberties with suppositions.

Emotions were often suppressed throughout, and we could get a real feel for the family. There is love even if the characters rarely say, “I love you.” They each expressed it in their own way. We see how their lives unfolded based on their upbringing and how some did what was expected of them even though they would have preferred not to. There is closure on some fronts but not others. An epilogue would have tied up all the loose ends.

Like Mother, Like Mother is women’s fiction with strong female characters. Grace’s generation wanted to break the cycle no matter the difficulty. Read the book to see if you think they succeeded.

Susan Rieger's multi-generational novel, LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER, is an emotional tale of three generations of strong-willed women, each deeply affected by the secrets of their family's dark past. This exploration of modern family dynamics, dysfunction, and emotional depth will resonate with readers.

About...

Divided into three parts:
Part One: Lila
Part Two: Grace
Part Three: Zelda

Beginning in the 1960s, Lila's mother was committed (when she was two years old) and sent away by her father. Lila never sees her again.

Lila is tenacious and works her way up to become an editor of a powerful Washington DC paper. Married with three daughters, she puts her work first.

Her youngest daughter, Grace, feels neglected and resentful. However, Grace also pursues a career in journalism and publishes a fictional account of Lila's life.

What happened to the grandmother, Zelda? Her disappearance is a mystery that will keep you turning the pages, eager to uncover the truth.

My thoughts...

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER is a gripping novel that masterfully blends humor and trauma, offering a complex and deeply engaging exploration of family dynamics and relationships.

At the book's beginning, we meet a wide cast of characters and families:
The Pereira-Maier Family
The McGowan Family
The Goldsmith Family
The Berman Family
The Bates Family
The Webb Family
and the standalones

The novel moves back and forth in time as we are introduced to the characters and their backgrounds with a mix of social, cultural, and political commentary.

While the characters are not particularly likable, the novel is character-driven and would be a good choice for book clubs.

Blending humor, satire, psychological topics and family secrets, trauma, ambition, marriage, family drama, coming of age, and nature versus nurture for a compelling multi-generational tale.

Recs...

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER is for fans who enjoy generational complex family dramas and mother/daughter stories. Fans of Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's The Nest, Jenny Jackson's Pineapple Street, Ann Napolitano's Hello Beautiful, and Lisa Jewell's The House We Grew Up In will enjoy.

Thanks to Random House for a digital advanced review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 29, 2024
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Nature versus nurture. How much of who we are is inherited through our DNA and how much is the product of our upbringing? Can we ever really understand ourselves if we don’t know where we came from? What precipitates healing and forgiveness? There’s so much to unpack from this utterly brilliant character driven novel by Susan Rieger.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER is an epic tale of three generations of women: Zelda, Lila, and Grace. It touches on themes of abuse, abandonment, determination, resilience, forgiveness, atonement, acceptance, sacrifice, and love. Ms. Rieger gives us richly drawn, multifaceted main and supporting characters. They are wholly imperfect; damaged and in search of healing.

Central to this riveting character based family drama is the mystery of Zelda. The question - and answer - have a resounding impact and influence on the trajectory of each life. It’s impossible not to get swept away. The story is accented by ripped from the headlines political situations. Some may find those unnecessary, but I thought they added to the realism of the saga.

The three main characters and those who love them will make you think and make you feel. This is an unforgettable tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Like Mother, Like Mother
Author: Susan Rieger
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: October 29, 2024

Susan Rieger writes a solid book about a family that has a lot of broken branches on their family tree. At times, this story read like it was written for the 1950’s and yet it was a contemporary story. The biggest takeaways are as follows: 1. Some women are not going to be good mothers. But these mothers should know who to hire good caretakers so their children grow and develop. 2. The concept of nature vs. nurture is strong in this book and guilt is absent for the most part. You get what you get, and you don’t pitch a fit. 3. The special people, the ones who really matter, are the ones who have bountiful bunches of love to share. There is list of characters at the start of the novel, you will need to use that. This is a big story with a big plot line and you have to pay attention which is why it took some time for me to complete. A good story by Ms. Rieger. #family #families #JewishFaith #Detroit #women #genderinequality #Mothers #BadMoms #Fathers #goodFathers #childabuse #wifeabuse #desperatemeasures #LikeMotherLikeMother @susanriegerwriter #fiction #womensfiction @penguinrandomhouse @netgalley
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
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#book #books #bookAddict #BooksOfInstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader #booklove #octoberread

This is a great book. It is insanely well written and it is so engaging and interesting.
Like Mother, Like Mother is really the story of a mother and daughter, navigating abandonment, motherhood, love and careers. Every character in this book is charming (except Aldo, obviously) and I loved each of their stories. Lila Pereira is certainly a singular and very memorable character. I especially loved her background in Jewish Detroit.
Really excellent book if you enjoy quirky characters and a great family saga. Thank you to Dial Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger is a clever and beautifully written multi-generational story.
I absolutely loved this book - it gripped me from page one and never let me go.
The character development was done so well here. I enjoyed their journey.

Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a family saga which I really enjoyed. Lila, the matriarch, is a career oriented newspaper editor who only agrees to have children if her husband and nannies raise her kids. She was abandoned by her mother when she was very young and her abusive father told her and her siblings she died, but they all suspect that isn't the truth.

I was a little worried it would be hard to follow when the first page was a rundown of all the characters in the book, but it wasn't that bad. I liked most of the characters and the atypical relationships. I found myself really wanting to know what happened to Lila's mother and if she really died. I had never heard of some kids getting the mother's last name and some getting the father's last name in a happy marriage either.