The plotline of Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble seems difficult at face value: as Barbara is dying of cancer, she records some thoughts, memories, and advice for her daughters to have after she has gone. Depending on the way it was written, the book could be a four-tissue wiper, or simply a story about how the lives of those grown or nearly-grown young women go on after their mother’s death. I had thought from the description that the story was meant to be more of a family drama than a death-bed melodrama.
I hope I don’t sound callous when I say that I didn’t cry one tear when I read this book. Yes, I got a lump or two in my throat, and objectively the thought of losing a parent is hard — at any age. But as the description of the book alluded, this is really the story of the four sisters. Four young women trying to figure out what it means to grow into adulthood — from the perspective of a teenager, a twentysomething, and two thirty-somethings who are as different as can be. As diverse as their choices and personalities, they all have each other, and they all share their mother in common. From the grave, she is able to tell them things that she couldn’t tell them while she was alive — either because she was too afraid, or because they were too stubborn to listen.
This is basically a year in the life — beginning with the funeral and taking them through that first year. As I read, I realized that it’s not really about one woman’s passing from life. It’s about how we all pass through life, as seen through the young women Hannah, Amanda, Jennifer and Lisa. We pass through childhood, into the testing teen years, into young adulthood where we experience changing expectations of ourselves and others, and then through the many stages of marriage and other relationships where we sacrifice ourselves for those we love.
We could read this book with the intent to dwell on the sadness of a life that was too short, or like the daughters do, we can take the words of this fictional heroine to heart: “Life is short. Even if you don’t get cancer. Even if you die an old lady in your bed. It’s still a blink-and-you-miss-it, ever-increasing-speed-white-knuckle ride” (page 37).
You will see yourself in this novel, in one of these characters. You will see your sisters, your best friend, your husband, your child. Elizabeth Noble writes with spot-on characterizations of people and relationships, and that’s one of thing that makes Things I Want My Daughters to Know a great novel.
The book contains a reading guide, and I think it would spark great book club conversations. You can read the first 60 pages online at Harper Collins using their Browse Inside feature.
Managing Editor Jennifer Donovan also blogs at Snapshot about life with her tween daughter and preschool son.
To enter the 2009 Mothers Day Giveaway of Things I Want My Daughters to Know, leave a comment below.
- All Mother’s Day Giveaways are open to U.S. shipping addresses only.
- The giveaway will close on April 30, and the winner will be announced on May 1.
- For information on how to enter the grand prize to win a copy of each book in the Mother’s Day Giveaway worth over $225, see the instructions on the main post.
- Check out the list of all Mother’s Day giveaways. Enter to win each book by leaving a comment on that post.
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Definitely want to read this.
Don’t enter me – I already have this one. It’s been sitting on my to-read list for a while – I really need to get to it!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Sounds like a wonderful book with the focus more on life than death.Great review!
Sounds interesting!
I have heard about this… Sounds like a great book!
I’m intrigued by your review. I avoid four-tissue reads, that play on the emotions. But this sounds good. Enter me in the drawing!
I’ve just placed a hold on it at the library. 🙂
I would like to give this one a read! Thanks for the review.
thanks for the giveaway
I would like to read this book.
Another fabulous sounding book! Would love to read this one.
I would love to win this book. Thanks for the giveaway.
accoupons at gmail dot com
Sounds like a tearjerker that I’d love.
I’d like to read this book. Thanks.
I would love to read this book, I love a good book. Thanks for the chance.
jules0910 at gmail dot com
Thanks for including this.
I would love to win & read this book.
Thanks
[email protected]
I would love to win this.
I’d love to win!
Sounds like a great book! Thank you for the opportunity!!
A novel full of life lessons–worthwhile!
I would love to read this. Please enter me! Thanks so much!
enter me please and thank you
I actually read this book! And I truly enjoyed it. It was interesting to see the differences in the daughters’ personalities and that the mom had really understood each of them so well! I’d love to win this to re-read and then to pass along to a friend of mine who I know would so enjoy it too!
with 5 girls, I’d love to win and read this book!
This sounds like one I’d enjoy reading!
I would love to
1. read this book
2. give it to my daughter
3 so she could then pass it on to her daughter!
Oh I am sooo in need of this!!!!!
My best friend’s mom just died. This would be a great book for me to read along with her.
I would love to win and read this book. Although I know that I would be a big weepy mess as I lost my mom to cancer at a young age. I wish that she had the time to write stuff down for my sister and I. But I do have a lot of great memories. Thanks for the chance to win.
With 2 daughters I could use this one!
I would love to read this book. Please enter me. Thanks!
Great review! Thanks for the chance to win as well.
Would love this for my book club. Thanks for the giveaway!
kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com
I’d like to enter the giveaway
As the mother of a just turned sixteen year old daughter, this books sounds like something I would enjoy reading.
Hm. This sounds really interesting. I love reading reviews–they’re so much better than the little blurbs on the jackets.
This does sound like a great book for a bookclub to read!
This is another one that sounds well worth reading. Please enter me. Thanks!
tiffanyak1986(at)hotmail(dot)com
sounds like a great read
Just the review almost made me cry..ha! Please enter me!
I have no clue where I would begin with what I would leave behind for my daughters if I were dying. Would love to read this one.
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Please enter me in the contest and thanks for hosting!
We all try to figure out what it’s like to grow into adulthood, and it’s different for each person. I, who have never had sister, would like to see this from a woman’s perspective by reading this book!
Now this is really a book that I would enjoy reading. Thanks for having this wonderful giveaway.