Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger

A Five-Star Book Review

Sometimes a good family drama is just what I need—on the page at least. Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger brings all the drama I could ask for, examining three generations of women whose decisions impact their family in infinite ways.

Summary of Like Mother, Like Mother (No Spoilers)

Lila Pereira is a no-nonsense, hard-nosed professional who climbed the ladder from writing obituaries to becoming executive editor of The Washington Globe. She is determined and brilliant, gaining respect in a male-driven field on her own terms. But, her relentless drive at work leaves little time for her other role as mother to three girls, including Grace, her youngest who sees Lila as a powerhouse but a failure as a caregiver. As Grace grows into her own as a writer, she turns her discontent into a fictionalized critique of Lila, a novel that creates havoc in their lives. But as Grace deals with that fallout, she is obsessed with Lila’s past, especially the disappearance of her own mother, Zelda, when Lila was two years old. Did Zelda die in the asylum after she was committed there by Lila’s abusive father? Or, did Zelda somehow escape her own tragic life but leave Lila and her siblings behind?

Like Mother, Like Mother explores the intricacies of motherhood in detail, examining the many ways that love can take form. Telling the stories of Lila, Grace, and Zelda, Rieger shares what happens when choices are made, when people are honest with themselves, and when expectations are disregarded.

“Lila says the only thing to do with childhood memories is to embalm them, make stories about them. Anything bad happens, move on. Spilled milk.”

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger (pg. 118)

What I Enjoyed about Like Mother, Like Mother

Like Mother, Like Mother is a standout book for me because of Rieger’s storytelling:

• Three Points of View: This book uses each woman’s point of view to share their complex experiences of mothers and daughters, as well as the challenges of being female from the mid 20th century onward.
• Main Characters: I don’t consider Lila, Grace, or Zelda to be particularly likable characters, but they are enigmatic in their own ways. I felt sympathetic toward each of them and wanted them to triumph, despite not liking some of their actions.
• Side Characters: Lila’s husband, Joe, and their two older daughters, Stella and Ava, are important contributors to the novel, as is Lila’s sister Ruth. I particularly liked how Rieger treated the elder sisters as nearly one character instead of two, showing such a close bond for the “Star Birds,” as they were nicknamed, one that I think Grace yearned for herself.

My Final Thoughts about Like Mother, Like Mother

If motherhood and family dynamics are interesting topics for you, then Like Mother, Like Mother may be for you. It addresses heavy subject matter, including abuse and domestic violence, but Rieger’s story and characters are worthy of your attention.