Irma: The Education of a Mother's Son – A WWII Widow's Poignant Journey of Courage, Love, and Raising a Man

by Terry McDonell

A son’s lessons from his single mother—a twenty five year old widow who took control of her life, defied expectations and raised him into a manhood of his own—from the author of the acclaimed  The Accidental Life. As a child, Terry McDonell imagined epic stories about his father, a fighter pilot who died in World War II. But, as he discovers in this dazzling memoir, the real hero in his life was his mother, Irma, who moved with him to California hoping for a new life and raised him through difficult times. Like most headstrong boys growing up in mid-century America, McDonell took his mother for granted, never giving her life much thought. He was bright, cocky, and determined to make his own way, separate from her and from his complicated roots. But as he matured, built a career, married, divorced, remarried, and raised his own sons, McDonell came to see that Irma had lived her life in a way that allowed him to discover what he wanted his own life to be. The person he was would be forever tied to Irma’s courage and wisdom and love. From his recollections—a series of colorful, deeply personal, sometimes funny, stunningly composed vignettes—an intriguing and poignant portrait emerges. Irma  is the story of a formidable woman who built the life she wanted as she raised her son to be the kind of man and father he had longed for but never knew.  

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Randi]

DNF. I wanted more depth but it moves a mile a minute, reading too much like a first person summary. Just not for me.

[Lilia C. Oram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irma: The Education of a Mother's Son is a masterclass in the memoir form. Terry McDonell has written a "dazzling" and deeply honest portrait of his mother that serves as a powerful reminder of the invisible heroes in our lives. Moving from the tragic loss of a WWII pilot father to the sun-drenched, difficult rebuilding of a life in California, the vignettes in this book are as colorful as they are poignant.

What makes this book so special is McDonell’s vulnerability. He captures the "cocky" essence of a boy growing up in mid-century America and the eventual, mature realization that his path was carved by his mother’s courage. It is more than just a biography; it is a meditation on what it means to become a man and a father when you never had a model of your own only a mother who defied every expectation. A truly beautiful, "stunningly composed" read that will stay with me for a long time.

[Robert]

Interesting but could have use more historical information to give it more context

[Diane Slagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

44

[Mona Andrei · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good read. I love the way the author brings you into his world while bringing you into the mind of a strong, (mostly) single mother.