Book Review: Who Do You Think You Are?: A Memoir by Alyse Myers

Book Review by Dawn “Belladonna” Thomas

Touchstone, May 2008

ISBN-10: 1416543058

ISBN-13: 9781416543053

I was flipping channels on the television and heard a promo commercial for this book. I was intrigued with the premise since I do not have a relationship with my mother. The interview with the author only took about ten minutes and I was hooked. Listening to her talk about her childhood and growing up in New York City with a domineering mother immediately hit me hard. I was sitting on the couch listening to her talk and found myself with tears in my eyes. It was so wonderful to hear someone say that it was okay not to love your mother.  I haven’t had a relationship with my mother in over fifteen years and there are times when I feel disapproval from others when I mention it.

In this book we hear how the author grew up with two parents that fought often and loud. She even references that she heard a neighbor talking about the screamers and knew realized they were talking about her parents. She is the oldest of three girls – all very close in age. She looses her father at age eleven. She spent the majority of her adolescence working several jobs and commuting to high school. She was saving as much money as she could so that she could afford to go to college. There are many times when the arguments between mother and daughter were so great and on several occasions the author was forced out of her home.

Reading this book was a type of validation to me. It showed me that you don’t have to follow tradition. Your feelings are your own and no one can take that away from you. I recommend this book to anyone that may have had a difficult relationship with your mother.