Faded Genes: Memories of a Motherless Daughter

by Donna Jean Pomeroy

For most, childhood is a carefree time. But for Donna Jean, childhood is anything but carefree. Her mother dies in childbirth in 1960, leaving seven-year-old Donna Jean and her 10 brothers and sisters to be raised in poverty by their over-whelmed father. Growing up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, she and her siblings struggle to overcome their grief. Donna Jean vows never to have children of her own, fearful that her strong resemblance to her mother means that she, too, will die in childbirth. This portrait of her journey from grief-stricken child to wife and eventually mother is profoundly moving. Whether or not you've dealt with loss, Donna Jean's story will strike a chord within you.

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's like the author didn't have anyone edit or proof read this "memoir." I DNF'd it at page 245, after she used the R word to describe a cat and spoke of her husband wanting to harm the animal. The bad grammar throughout made it unpalatable. Horrible, do not recommend, 0 stars.