Here are 100 books that Don't Call Me Mother fans have personally recommended if you like
Don't Call Me Mother.
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I've penned 11 novels and numerous essays, and if there's one thread that ties them all together, it's rawness. I gravitate towards reading books and watching films where writers peel back the layers of their lives, exposing past wounds and delving into what they've learned from them. As an entrepreneur with a master's degree in marketing, I’ve found that this kind of vulnerability is not only compelling but essential in any form of storytelling. Whether I’m crafting a narrative for a new startup or reflecting on my own experiences for a novel, it’s this unfiltered honesty that resonates deeply with audiences.
Westover’s memoir is a fascinating exploration of the clash between ignorance and enlightenment, with a plot twist that involves her eventually realizing she was raised in a real-life survivalist cult. Her journey from a sheltered, isolated upbringing to earning a PhD is nothing short of extraordinary.
But what really hooked me was her biting wit and the way she grapples with the contradictions of loving a family that’s as endearing as they are exasperating. It’s like watching someone untangle a lifetime’s worth of emotional knots, one revelation at a time, and somehow finding humor in the most unexpected places.
Selected as a book of the year by AMAZON, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, NEW YORK TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, VOGUE, IRISH TIMES, IRISH EXAMINER and RED MAGAZINE
'One of the best books I have ever read . . . unbelievably moving' Elizabeth Day 'An extraordinary story, beautifully told' Louise O'Neill 'A memoir to stand alongside the classics . . . compelling and joyous' Sunday Times
Tara Westover grew up preparing for the end of the world. She was never put in school, never taken to the doctor. She did not even have a birth certificate…
I grew up in the 1960s in the Midwest, in a male-dominated family, where appearances were highly important, where no one seemed to focus on anyone’s feelings or plans (particularly as a female member of the family). As a result, I’m drawn to books where the author explores this type of problematic relationship, of a protagonist trying to carve out her identity in the midst of often overwhelming obstacles. It also interests me to read about women who, like me, somehow managed to discover who they were (I use the word “translate” in my memoir), to carve out an identity that is separate from the idea that people around her erroneously hold to be true.
Places We Left Behind is like nothing I’ve ever read before.
For one thing, the structure of the relatively short book is unusual, short vignettes and observations. The writing is beautiful, and it’s the story of the challenges of being part of an international couple. This is not my situation, but I have traveled extensively and know “mixed” couples, so much of Lang’s book resonated with me.
"For anyone who has ever loved deeply and been willing to take risks for the sake of love." Rachel Barenbaum author of Atomic Anna
When American-born Jennifer falls in love with French-born Philippe during the First Intifada in Israel, she understands their relationship isn't perfect.
Both 23, both Jewish, they lead very different lives: she's a secular tourist, he's an observant immigrant. Despite their opposing outlooks on two fundamental issues-country and religion-they are determined to make it work. For the next 20 years, they root and uproot their growing family, each longing for a singular place to call home.
I grew up in the 1960s in the Midwest, in a male-dominated family, where appearances were highly important, where no one seemed to focus on anyone’s feelings or plans (particularly as a female member of the family). As a result, I’m drawn to books where the author explores this type of problematic relationship, of a protagonist trying to carve out her identity in the midst of often overwhelming obstacles. It also interests me to read about women who, like me, somehow managed to discover who they were (I use the word “translate” in my memoir), to carve out an identity that is separate from the idea that people around her erroneously hold to be true.
This book is not a memoir per se, but it reads like a memoir.
Such a short book, but so packed with emotion and beautiful writing, as the protagonist attempts to find her place in the world. Although our family situations couldn’t have been more different in terms of the countries in which we grew up, and our family structure, I deeply identified with the protagonist’s feeling that she didn’t belong, wasn’t really part of the family situation in which she found herself. I read it months ago and it has remained with me.
** Adapted into the Oscar-nominated film adaptation, An Cailin Ciuin / The Quiet Girl **
From the author of the Booker-shortlisted Small Things Like These, a heartbreaking, haunting story of childhood, loss and love by one of Ireland's most acclaimed writers.
'A real jewel.' Irish Independent
'A small miracle.' Sunday Times
'A thing of finely honed beauty.' Guardian
'Thrilling.' Richard Ford
'As good as Chekhov.' David Mitchell
It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A girl is sent to live with foster parents on a farm, not knowing when she will return home. In the strangers' house, she finds…
Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.
I grew up in the 1960s in the Midwest, in a male-dominated family, where appearances were highly important, where no one seemed to focus on anyone’s feelings or plans (particularly as a female member of the family). As a result, I’m drawn to books where the author explores this type of problematic relationship, of a protagonist trying to carve out her identity in the midst of often overwhelming obstacles. It also interests me to read about women who, like me, somehow managed to discover who they were (I use the word “translate” in my memoir), to carve out an identity that is separate from the idea that people around her erroneously hold to be true.
I highly recommend Poetic License for anyone who a) grew up in a patriarchy and b) had fathers who were larger than life.
Cherington’s father was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, and she had to live in his shadow for much of her life, and accommodate to a world which largely revolved around him.
It was fascinating to read about the notable literary figures who came to their home but, at the same time, having grown up in a patriarchy myself, with a larger-than-life father, I could easily imagine what life was life for the author, a life she describes in beautiful, lyrical language.
At age forty, with two growing children and a new consulting company she'd recently founded, Gretchen Cherington, daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Richard Eberhart, faced a dilemma: Should she protect her parents' well-crafted family myths while continuing to silence her own voice? Or was it time to challenge those myths and speak her truth-even the unbearable truth that her generous and kind father had sexually violated her?
In this powerful memoir, aided by her father's extensive archives at Dartmouth College and interviews with some of her father's best friends, Cherington candidly and courageously retraces her past to make sense of…
How do ideas about gender, sexuality, and race show up in our political culture? And how do people’s political needs play a role in constructions of race, sex, and gender? I’ve been researching the intersections between ideas about gender, sexuality, and political culture in the modern United States for almost twenty years. And I think history can show us the ways ideas about sex, gender, and race suffuse political culture, revealing hierarchies of power that often discriminate, alienate, and silence. By reading books like the ones on this list we can understand how this power works, we can recognize it more clearly in the present, and we can find ways to dismantle it.
I am recommending this book because Elaine Tyler May offered one of the earliest analyses of gender and sex tied directly to the dictates and needs of political culture. She insightfully delineates “domestic containment,” a component of Cold War culture which paralleled the foreign policy initiative to contain communism and nuclear arms throughout the world. But in this case the sphere of influence was the home. By excavating Cold War culture (for example, Life Magazine’s coverage of a couple honeymooning in a bomb shelter) and some fascinating longitudinal data May demonstrates the way domestic containment sought to keep women and men in their proscribed domestic roles, and she reveals the difficulty many families had living up to the ideal. Her history illuminates our long-lasting nostalgia for the “traditional” family and remains so relevant today.
When Homeward Bound first appeared in 1988, it forever changed the way we understand Cold War America. Previously, scholars understood the post-World War II era as a time when Americans turned away from politics to enjoy the fruits of peace and prosperity after decades of depression and war, while their leaders remained preoccupied with the Soviet threat and the dangers of the Atomic Age. Homeward Bound challenged the idea of an apolitical private arena, demonstrating that the Atomic Age and the Cold War were not merely the concerns of experts and policy makers, but infused American life on every level,…
I am passionate about aging in America. I was honored to be in health care for over 40 years; I was a leader in home care and hospital systems and was there at the birth of the assisted living movement, now so respected. I specialized in Alzheimer’s as it is the least understood common disease of seniors, one that evokes misery if not handled properly. I started the first Alzheimer’s training for homecare aides in the 90’s. In positions such as Senior Vice President of Northbridge Companies and President of Northbridge Advisory Services, I became an advocate for dementia education, advanced care, and programs for the financially challenged.
While I am not quite into the fourth quarter of my life, I am not far, and as a baby boomer and one in the senior living field, the topic of aging comes up all the time with similarly aged friends, coworkers, and relatives.
We all feel the same way—we don’t want to be helpless bystanders in determining how the last 25 years of our lives will look. We all know people in their 70’s and 80’s who are remarkable; mentally and physically fit, with active, happy, purposeful lives. We also know many who seem so much older than their actual age and who represent our worst fears of aging. But there are so many charlatans looking for desperate or gullible people to spend their money on anti-aging trends that may as well be snake oil for all of their worth.
Whether you are in the fourth quarter of life or not, this book will change the way you live the rest of your life.
Intentionality is the key to successful fourth quarter living. People don’t accidentally age gracefully. People don’t accidentally die peacefully. And people don’t accidentally leave behind legacies of hope, love, and encouragement. These all require the intentionality this book will help you develop.
The purpose of this practical guide is to help you...
Live the fourth quarter based on proven life principles
Clearly establish meaning and direction for your life
Develop the clarity necessary to make good…
I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places…
I’m passionate about sharing our family stories for the next generations. Everyone has a story. They are powerful and we bond through them. As a baby boomer, I’m especially ardent about preserving WWII stories. So much so that I wrote a book, Unintended Hero, about my father’s experiences and battles aboard his ship, the USS Denver, in WWII. These first-hand account stories, not found in classroom history books, must be preserved. I believe we owe a debt of gratitude to the Greatest Generation, whose sacrifices have made our nation what it is today, and I enjoy speaking to high school students about the Greatest Generation’s zealous patriotism.
Although the title of this non-fiction book suggests the level is for teenagers, as a baby boomer, I thoroughly appreciated the author’s portrayal of the historical arc of the war.
Hands down, it’s a great book for adults as well. Mack-Jackson’s timelines and descriptions of the major battles and military strategies, including the prelude to World War II, are very well researched and written for easy comprehension of a worldwide war.
The allegiance to country and sacrifices to a cause beyond self of the Greatest Generation American soldiers, pilots, and sailors can never be doubted after reading this book.
Explore WWII from the front lines in this teen history book
Help history come alive in a way that's easy for teens to connect with and enjoy. World War II History for Teens dives deep into the major battles, providing a core, compelling framework that allows teens to better understand what really happened during the war. From the conquest of Europe all the way through the end of the Pacific Theater, they'll get an up-close look at the course of the Second World War and learn how it created the world they live in today.
I have been a coach to business owners for the last 25 years, with a concentration on exit planning for the last twelve. During that time I have personally worked with over 500 owners. I’ve written 4 books on the subject, two of which were award winners. I’ve seen so many owners who built excellent businesses, but are stymied by how to leave them without deserting their employees and customers. Almost two-thirds of business owners over 60 years old have no plan for the transition of their businesses. I am on a mission to fix that.
I don’t know Richard Jackim, but Peter Christman is the founder of EPI, and this book is often described as “Where exit planning for business owners began.” It was the first to outline exit planning as a process that requires a team. It discusses tax and legal strategies, coordinating with estate planning, and developing a plan for due diligence. Written mostly for advisors, the focus is on the M&A process for middle market companies, but no list of exit planning books would be complete without it.
The $10 Trillion Opportunity shows business advisors how to develop comprehensive, integrated exit plans for business owners. With the baby boomer generation approaching retirement age, exit planning has become one of the hottest topics for business advisors. Exit planning is a process that asks and answers all of the personal, business, financial, legal, estate and tax issues involved in selling or exiting from a privately held business. The $10 Trillion Opportunity is a logically structured book with a no-nonsense approach to exploring and addressing a topic that is often misunderstood and at times overwhelming for business owners and their advisors…
Excluding every day since my birth, my Gen X studies started in earnest in 2016, when Fortune 100 companies aggressively laid off my Gen X peers across the board. I was an early entrepreneur in the crypto industry and saw firsthand how people in remote reaches of the world used Bitcoin to pull themselves out of poverty. Since 2021, I have been a podcast host, interviewing founders and entrepreneurs about the benefits of technology and how to bring the next billion people across the digital divide. Most of my nearly 600 podcasts discuss how to empower people, especially my age, to live better lives by embracing the new digital economy.
I loved this book because I related to it in so many ways. During 2017, I stood at the crossroads of uncertainty as corporate layoffs reverberated through the U.S. economy. The weight of being laid off was heavy on me and my peers. For seven years afterward, I submitted tens of thousands of applications without receiving an interview. After a short while, each rejection took an emotional and psychological toll on me. But I am relieved this author knew exactly what I went through. Over time, I saw myself not as a corporate mid-level employee but as a resilient innovator who can navigate a rapidly changing world.
I, too, believe we Gen Xers have been often overlooked but are rich with untapped potential. The world has changed dramatically. The COVID-19 pandemic, a divisive political environment, and rapid technological advancements have forced my fellow Gen Xers and me to adapt to…
In Passed Over and Pissed Off, Dr. Mia Mulrennan reveals that Generation X is fed up and frustrated. Corporate America has turned a deaf ear for too long. Baby Boomers have retained their positions of power longer than anyone anticipated, and are now focusing their attention on grooming the Millennials in order to “leave a legacy” before they retire. Sandwiched between two behemoth generations, the members of Generation X are the outnumbered, seldom-mentioned, underdog generation. Many Gen Xers are tired of patiently waiting for their turn to lead, languishing in non-leadership roles, nose to the grindstone, doing everything right, but…
ThePianist's Only Daughter is a frank, humorous, and heartbreaking exploration of aging in an aging expert's own family.
Social worker and gerontologist Kathryn Betts Adams spent decades negotiating evolving family dynamics with her colorful and talented parents: her mother, an English scholar and poet, and her father, a pianist…
As a career journalist who has worked in print, online, on the radio and on television, I’ve long been intrigued by the influence of mass media and the vast technological changes in how information is transmitted that have occurred over the course of my career. Burnt out from the daily deadlines and transformed by a chance to work in the Kingdom of Bhutan, I began writing books and gravitate toward the “origin stories” of influential US entities.
Millions of people love and tune in to public radio every day. But how many people understand how public radio works, or how it got to where it is today? When it was first chartered in 1970, it wasn't clear NPR would work-or exactly how. For years, it struggled to find an audience—in part because of the technological limitations of the network and the emerging FM medium. McCauley interviewed early luminaries in public radio to construct this terrific look at its early years.
The people who shaped America's public broadcasting system thought it should be "a civilized voice in a civilized community"-a clear alternative to commercial broadcasting. This book tells the story of how NPR has tried to embody this idea. Michael P. McCauley describes NPR's evolution from virtual obscurity in the early 1970s, when it was riddled with difficulties-political battles, unseasoned leadership, funding problems-to a first-rate broadcast organization. The book draws on a wealth of primary evidence, including fifty-seven interviews with people who have been central to the NPR story, and it places the network within the historical context of the wider…
