About the Book:
"I invited the child I was once to have her say in these pages. I am the one who came out on the other side of childhood; she is the one who searched for the door."
In the tradition of The Glass Castle comes a debut memoir about a woman’s hopeful life despite the sad results of her mother’s choices. Moonlight on Linoleum is an affecting story of a girl who rose above her circumstances to become an early and faithful caretaker to her five siblings. It is about the power one finds in sisterhood to thrive in a difficult and ever-changing landscape as the girls bond in unconditional love despite constant upheaval and uncertainty. In these pages, Teresa Helwig crafts a moving portrait of a mother she loved completely even as she struggled to understand her.My Comments:
Often when I review memoirs, I'll say that they are self-absorbed, and I guess it must be hard to write about strong memories, emotionally charged situations, without falling into the I, me, my trap. Terry Helwig manages to do it here though. Rather than being a story of the pain she suffered as the daughter of a mother who never made peace with life, she tells the story of her mother. Yes, she is there, and yes, her mother's inability to love and accept the love of her husband obviously caused her pain, and caused pain for sisters Terry loves, but Moonlight on the Linoleum is also the story of Terry's triumph over that pain. Terry accepts the love of her stepfather. She loves her sisters and watches out for them. She even cares for the mother who couldn't really mother.
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy. You can get more information about Terry Helwig at her website. Grade: B+
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