The daughter of former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young draws universal lessons from her mother's extraordinary life, weaving personal stories of Jean Young against a backdrop rich in the turbulent politics of our recent past. 15 photos.

How happy was the 1950s happy housewife? Women in post-war America were supposed to have it all: generous husbands with great jobs, comfortable suburban homes with nice yards and two-car garages, and all the latest gadgets to make their housework easier. The pain and horror of World War II were over. The economy was booming and America was becoming a world leader. American women were to play a role in America’s prosperity, the role they were always meant to play: supporting mothers, wives, and daughters. Theirs was a life of ease. They were the fairytale princesses with the happy ending. The women’s magazines told them so. The advertisements for laundry detergent and TV dinners told them so. The doctors who treated their children’s colds told them so. Women in 1950s America were sold a bill of goods about their purpose in life and their futures. Some bought it and some didn’t. This book is about the women who didn’t. These are not nostalgic stories about my mother’s life or your mother’s life. They dig deep into the lives of five fictional characters who knew in the back of their minds that their lives weren’t happy and they wanted something more. In “Fumbling Toward Freedom,” Susan reconsiders her plans for an early marriage after visiting an art exhibit one Saturday afternoon. “Mother of Mischief” tells of Mary, cast in a maternal role since childhood, who discovers her true worth after a tragic episode in her loveless marriage brings her past to light. The story “Soul Destinations” is about Joan’s encounter with a has-been musician on a train which launches her soul’s journey. In “Devoted,” Rachel’s Aunt Amelia teaches her about the consequences of losing her identity when a woman takes her role as caretaker too seriously. And, finally, there is “Two Sides of Life,” a story based on a true incident in the author’s mother’s life. Leanne’s unexpected bond with the wife of her husband’s lab assistant shows her the true meaning of life just at the dawn of the women’s movement. Five stories. Five women. Five roads that will lead to self-identity and fulfillment. These are not true stories about my mother. But they could be. They could be stories about your mother or your grandmother or even your great-grandmother. They are stories about the women many of us know. Purchase Lessons From My Mother’s Life today and walk in the shoes of five American women struggling with what Betty Friedan called “The Problem That Has No Name.” What reviewers are saying: “Smart, interesting and down-to-earth, these are stories that are close to the heart of every woman either because they lived through something similar, or because, as the title says, our mothers did.” “Great short stories that really do speak to what women had to face mid 20th century.” “I know my mother absolutely could have personally dealt with some of the experiences described in the book!” This book also includes an Author’s Note and a bonus chapter from The Specter, the first book of the author’s Gilded Age saga, the Waxwood Series.

Record your mother's life story in this beautiful keepsake journal with 200 guided exercises and prompts that take her back through each stage of her life and its accompanying adventures. A mother’s love is like none other and is one that can never be replaced. From unconditional support and care to tireless encouragement and compassionate understanding, mothers are our number-one fans, fearless protectors, and most inspiring heroines. In My Mother's Life, both thought-provoking and lighthearted writing prompts and guided exercises are organized into chapters based on your mother’s life stages to help her record her life’s memoir. Beginning with early childhood, questions like What is the very earliest memory you have? followed by early adulthood prompts such as What motivated you when you were a young woman? and then concluding with questions about the wisdom she has learned and would like to share such as What are three pieces of life advice you can give me to pass down to my own children?, the My Mother's Life journal jump starts the reflective writing process to open your mother’s mind to dig deeper into who she is, where she started, and, most importantly, what she has learned. Complemented with poignant quotes about mothers throughout history, this beautifully designed keepsake journal will give your mother everything she needs to record her life’s experiences to not only share light on the events that shaped her into the woman she is today, but also to preserve her life’s memories and stories for you and your family to learn from, become inspired by, and cherish for future generations. With so much of our lives and contact going digital, the Creative Keepsakes journals offer an intimate way to nurture your connection with yourself and the people around you. An entertaining way to get off your screen, these guided and free-form journals are great for writers and artists alike. Each journal offers content around a different theme, including silly prompts for a laugh, random yet thoughtful questions, inspiration for art and composition, interactive prompts to learn about your heritage, and blank interiors on high-quality paper stock to use as your creative canvas. Beautifully designed and full of mindful prompts, channel your inspiration as you put pen (or pencil, or marker, or crayon!) to paper to learn more about yourself, your talents, and the people you love. Also in this Series: 3,001 Questions All About Me, 301 Things to Draw, 301 Writing Ideas, Create Comics: A Sketchbook, Inner Me, Internet Password Book, My Father's Life, My Grandmother's Life, My Life Story, 3,001 This or That Questions, My Grandfather's Life, Create the Poem, Complete the Drawing Journal, Mom and Me Journal, Why I Love You Journal, Create the Story, and Destroy & Design This Journal.

When I lost my mother to a long and painful battle with cancer, four years ago, I was thousands of miles away, alone and thick with grief. At first, everything seemed distant and pale, and I went through my days like a robot, lead-footed and sandy-eyed, trying to make sense of each moment. It took a while, but I came to understand that the only way out was through. At some point, I submitted to the dagger of sorrow, as it carved out a hollow in my heart, turning me into some sort of an unself-conscious, sculpted form. I re-lived all the memories of my mother, and gleaned new lessons from them. Through the eighteen essays in this book, I recount how her food, music, and stories -- all the things that she birthed in her spacious, sun-dappled kitchen -- helped me cope with long-distance grief, and taught me to look at life with renewed hope. I also present some special recipes, straight from Amma's kitchen, and a bunch of kitchen poems in her honour, finding her in such things as the sizzling of spices, the bubbling of flavourful broths, or a melodious Raga swirled into my cup of coffee. My wish is that this book will come to stand for all this and more: a celebration of life and a quiet acceptance of death. I hope that it will inspire and touch many, those who are going through rough times, or those who are simply living the ordinary life, for often we forget that there's so much magic in it.

This book comes straight from the heart of the Jakes family to yours. Bishop Jakes, pastor of The Potter's House, shares personal stories about growing up in his mother's home, revealing the time-honored lessons and values she taught him. Woven into his personal vignettes are inspirational biblical stories about mothers, heartfelt advice for modern-day moms, and testimonials from other prominent African-American figures about the importance of motherhood. Driven by the Bible and stories straight from his own life and offering praise, inspiration, and instruction, T.D. Jakes has written a book for daughters and sons, brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents--and anyone else who has ever felt the mighty power of a mother's love.--From publisher description.

The stories in My Mother Said...And the Lessons I learned are told by daughters, sons, and even granddaughters and stand as salutes to the women who influenced their lives. The idea for the book came from memories of my own mother, Anna Wilma Pope McDonald. A widow after just nine years of marriage, left with three children and no source of income, she sacrificed her own life to raise my sister, my brothe4r and me. We always knew that we came first, and the lessons I learned from her are ones that I have held onto and incorporated into my own role as a mother. The stories told include one of three women from Minnesota, the grandmother now 103 and still active, her daughter who remains by her side, and her granddaughter who is grateful to have had her so long in her life. There is the former police chief of San Francisco, whose mother instilled in him respect for women, and the educator from Pennsylvania who had a bond so strong with his mother that he said she "wove his heart." Three sisters share the memories of their mother, an Olympic gymnast, whose records remained intact for almost 70 years, until they were beaten by Simone Biles in 2019. There is the story told by a daughter who has found herself as the caretaker of her mother who now struggles with a failing memory, one of a son, whose mother taught him to live his life with a tough skin, and one of a son, whose mother rose above her humble beginnings in a sharecropper family to become a respected leader in their community. There is the mother who supported her daughter as she pursued her dream of becoming a performer on the stage and of mothers and their adopted children. Woven between the memories shared by others are mine of my mother. Throughout her 92 years on this Earth, she never lost sight of her respect for others, no matter their race, religion or political affiliation. She lived her life with a positive attitude, despite years of hardship, sadness with the death of her only son and then the loss of her home that she worked so hard to keep. The last ten years of her life were spent in a nursing home, but they were years when she never lost her positive view of life. She remains today, my hero, as do so many other mothers to those who tell their stories.

In this unique, profoundly inspirational memoir, Divorce Court star Judge Lynn Toler shares her mother’s wisdom for learning to conquer anger and become immune to insult. Toler credits her mother’s “rules” for life – a life that saw her grow up the daughter of a poor teen mother and endure a husband who suffered mental illness and alcoholism – with providing the grounding for her own success and happiness. Toler shows how the mindset of “a black woman who knew how to make things work” taught her the power of knowing how to manage one’s emotional business—lessons that this book offers in wrenching stories written in spare and graceful prose. My Mother’s Rules is an unforgettable book that will captivate readers with its illustrations of how to rise above the most difficult circumstances and find peace and success in life.