Like Mother, Like Mother

A Novel

By: Susan Rieger

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

An enthralling novel about three generations of strong-willed women, unknowingly shaped by the secrets buried in their family’s past.

“What a delight! Like Mother, Like Mother is sharp, fun, and witty.”—Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

“A sprawling family saga, briskly told with the lightest of touches and an often-surprising sense of humor.”—Rumaan Alam, bestselling author of Leave the World Behind

Detroit, 1960. Lila Pereira is two years old when her angry, abusive father has her mother committed to an asylum. Lila never sees her mother again. Three decades later, having mustered everything she has—brains, charm, talent, blond hair—Lila rises to the pinnacle of American media as the powerful, brilliant executive editor of The Washington Globe. Lila unapologetically prioritizes her career, leaving the rearing of her daughters to her generous husband, Joe. He doesn’t mind—until he does.

But Grace, their youngest daughter, feels abandoned. She wishes her mother would attend PTA meetings, not White House correspondents’ dinners. As she grows up, she cannot shake her resentment. She wants out from under Lila’s shadow, yet the more she resists, the more Lila seems to shape her life. Grace becomes a successful reporter, even publishing a bestselling book about her mother. In the process of writing it, she realizes how little she knows about her own family. Did Lila’s mother, Grace’s grandmother, die in that asylum? Is refusal to look back the only way to create a future? How can you ever be yourself, Grace wonders, if you don’t know where you came from?

Spanning generations, and populated by complex, unforgettable characters, Like Mother, Like Mother is an exhilarating, portrait of family, marriage, ambition, power, the stories we inherit, and the lies we tell to become the people we believe we’re meant to be.

©2024 Susan Rieger (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A novel in the spirit of Meg Wolitzer, Jean Hanff Korelitz, and the great Nora Ephron . . . Who says comedy is dead? It’s all here—incredible characters, joyful satire, a wisecracking newswoman, family secrets with a twist of lime.”—Allegra Goodman, bestselling author of Sam

“The best kind of novel: compelling, warm, funny, and complicated, full of kick-ass women in tangled relationships, spanning generations and coming of age again and again. Susan Rieger tackles my favorite subjects: writing, family, and the conditions of unconditional love.”—Laurie Frankel, bestselling author of Family Family

“Phenomenal . . . Susan Rieger’s wise, exhilaratingly moving tale gets to the beating heart of nature versus nurture and the stories we are told versus the stories we need to hear.”—Caroline Leavitt, bestselling author of Days of Wonder

Dysfunction Runs Deep

this is a really great book for people who wonder why they do certain things. It is great about making generational connections for all those who are finding their long lost siblings, cousins and parents. There is so much more here, especially about the relationship between mothers and daughters, and what they owe each other.

compelling story

wow...glad I stumbled on this story! humans being human...poor life choices and triumphs. recommend 100%

Astounding

I enjoyed this so much. The narrator did a fantastic job of holding my attention and of making me feel the story. Though the Zelda parts hit me deeply I did not like her. I tried hard but I was abandoned by my father and left with a crazy woman. To me it didn’t matter that this was a mother and mine was a father. Either way it’s desertion and unforgivable. I felt for Zelda being so young and going through such abuse but she left her three children with an abuser. Unforgivable.
Beautiful story. Sad but still beautiful. Well written and well read.

Fabulous Page Turner!

Enjoyed the storyline of Like Mother Like Mother. The book follows three generations of women and their stories. A quick and enjoyable read!

Disappointment

This book did not live up to the hype. It's not a bad book, it's just a bit tedious. The working mother is depicted as driven, cold to her children and spouse. A sad, out of date stereotype. The over-privileged kids did not suffer because their father was nurturing and did not neglect them. Being the kind of reader who actually enjoys reading about unlikeable characters, these ones were completely uninteresting to me.

I did give up about 2/3rds of the way through the book, so perhaps there was some sort of redemption later in the story. I was at the point where I simply no longer cared.

BORING

The description of this book didn’t sound like anything I wanted to read. I’m only reading it because it was a Good Reads selection. I am firmly convinced that I don’t understand what makes a good book. Every book I’ve read that was highly rated and raved about, I didn’t particularly like. The only exception is the books written by Kristen Hannah. The only thing of interest for me was that the characters grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where I grew up.
It’s the story of a girl whose mother's life is very much like her grandmother’s. It’s interesting how they are able to talk about almost anything. About the secrets they keep and the lies they tell.
In the end, I didn’t particularly like this book. Not my kind of story, You might like it, I didn’t.


RECOMMENDATION: SKIP IT