My Mother's Daughter

by Judith Henry Wall

The story of three generations of a family is set against a backdrop of the second-half of the twentieth century and begins with sisters Justine and Martha Claire, the former a member of the Women's Army Corps in World War II, the latter a woman longing for a child

Genres: Fiction, Book Club

432 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2000

Reviews

[Sarah Fifer]

This was a great book. I struggled with the "side" I was on - that always makes a good book for me - one that makes me struggle with which side I'm on. Allows me to see a point of view that I may not have just with my life experiences. In this book, there is a betrayal that is unthinkable BUT the way the character who is betrayed handles is makes the situation 100 times worse. It's a great picture of why unforgiveness is so UGLY. Great read!

[Joyce Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very emotional family saga which covers 50 years of two sisters who have a serious falling out.

[Kacy Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored My Mother's Daughter by Judith Henry Wall! This book is a captivating story exploring the complex and often multiple relationships, especially between mother and daughter.
Wall's storytelling is relatable and engaging, and readers will undoubtedly connect with her writing. The author masterfully weaves together various themes, including family dynamics, identity, and self-discovery, resulting in a truly breathtaking read.
One thing that particularly struck me about this novel was Wall's vivid descriptions. The author's writing is so descriptive that I felt like I was in the room with them as they navigated through the challenges and blessings of their relationships.
Overall, I highly recommend My Mother's Daughter to anyone interested in reading books about family dynamics. Wall's writing is heartfelt and entertaining, making this book a great read.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written tale of a family that spans fifty years. This is about
Forgiveness,accepting the wrong done and moving forward and secrets
Kept through generations. It is well written and told. It speaks to a woman’s
Strength, self discovery, and love. It is about two sisters , their family and
Lives, wrongs, and forgiving. Highly recommended.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reader's Digest select edition and quick read though the story was engaging from start to finish. Lessons on forgiveness and holding grudges; inevitably, later in life, we regret years wasted and the good/great life events we might have missed.

[Ayushi shrestha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly have no idea when or what i read, it was so long back

[Eleanor Spalding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with some unexpected twists.

[MBenzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, couldn't put it down. It's a wonderful family saga. The story is told from a few different points of view, but mainly by Martha Clair and her adoptive daughter Cissy. Spanning 3 generations, there's so much to tell.

Martha Clair and her sister Justine have grown up in the idyllic little town of Columbus Texas. Her new husband Grayson went off to fight in WWII, and it chronicles the family's life thereafter. The deaths, family life, unspeakable heartbreak and betrayal, and ultimately forgiveness. There is so much story in this book that I don't know where to start. All I can do is recommend this book HIGHLY!!!

I only gave it 4 stars for two reasons, the first being that it's very difficult to decipher time. At the beginning of each chapter, a couple of months to a couple of years may have gone by, you're never really sure until about half-way through a chapter when an age or event is mentioned, and then you're trying to figure out in your head exactly what year it is, and just when you figure it out, another chapter begins and you're lost again. I overlooked this though and focused on the story itself.

The second thing was the hostility Martha Claire possessed. At first, you expect it and understand it. But as the years drag on I started to get annoyed. Either DO something about the situation or shut-up and get over it...that's how I felt. By the end, I was thinking "Enough is enough!!!'

But overall, this was an excellent book! As I said...almost perfect! I definitely recommend to any woman to give this book a try!!

[Dawn Dorsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel traces what happens to a loving family when the adults are beset by private sorrows, and eventually withheld forgiveness and chilly hatred overtake the love in their lives. It is set in small-town, post-war east Texas, and traces the changes in society in the decades following the Second World War, as well as those of the people who lived through it in their different roles.

It reads as a memoir, and moves from happy childhood haunted by mysterious sadness, to broken adolescence, with children trying desperately to heal a hostile rift they do not understand among the adults surrounding them. It is ultimately a story of survival, of parents surviving despite themselves, and children overcoming great loss to establish their own lives, but oh, at what great cost to all of them.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This ungrounded story centers around a Texas family with a secret that damages the family unit. Martha Claire, responsible matriarch, finds out her adventurous sister Justine had a brief one night stand in post war Dover, England with Martha Claire's husband. Due to the involvement of children, this unravels the second generation of Justine, Martha Claire and the husband, Grayson.

Long without being epic, emotional without being moving. The central characters were unsympathetic and flat.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I read this novel, I came to dislike Martha Claire so much that my feelings for her bordered on hate. Martha Claire was living a fantasy life and could not cope with anything that happened to threaten it. She alienated her family but there were many good characters in this story that kept me reading. Although I was not aware of Columbus, Texas, I recognized many of the place names, including Fort Hood and Lampasas.

[L8blmr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book when I began reading it, but it didn't really measure up to my expectations. It wasn't a complete waste of time, but unless you're a fan of bitter, angry and frustrated females and/or dissappointing and disappointed males who are punished for half a lifetime, I wouldn't recommend this story.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book and I loved all the different characters and how their lives intertwined. I felt so sorry for Martha Clare and Grayson but was pleased that Gabrielle came into their lives towards the end and helped them start to heal. It was a real happy/sad story.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not see that coming, most of it. Moves slow, but weaves a web that pays off later in the book-thankfully not on the last page, but well into the last half. The characters are a little ill-formed and the setting is I guess purposefully draining but it was definitely interesting.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this story was well written. It was very sad in some places and very cute in others. In short, it's a story of an adopted girl who spends her entire life trying to please her barren mother. She eventually succeeds, but at what price?

[Diane Wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

HB-B c2000
Two southern sisters, with different goals, live through the trauma of WWII. One sister wants children and can't have them, the other wants a career, but comes home with a baby. Interesting.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like WWII era novels this one would be a sure hit. Two very different sisters with two very different outlooks and lives yet very much alike and good friends too.

[Margaret Boehm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novel about family secrets and forgiveness.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favourite books. its a beautiful story about love.

[Kathleen Widner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad, but good, book. The power of forgiveness would have made a huge difference in the lives of the main characters.

[Tonya Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books ever...