• 5 Star Reads
  • Audiobooks
  • Books on Screen
  • Children’s Books
  • Christian
  • Fiction
  • Giveaways

5 Minutes For Books

  • Home
  • About
    • Who Are We? Reviewer Bios
    • 5 Star Reads
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
  • Join In
    • 5 Minutes for Books Bookclub
    • Children’s Classics
    • Kids’ Picks
    • What’s on Your Nightstand
  • Link To Us
  • Contact
    • Advertise

White Dresses

August 19, 2015 by Jennifer

white dresses
5M4B disclosure

Mary Pflum Peterson and her family have definitely led an interesting life, which is generally a requirement for a good memoir. White Dresses: A Memoir of Love and Secrets, Mothers and Daughters tells about the loves and secrets of her mother and her grandmother and herself loosely framed against the white dresses that were worn at significant times in their lives: christenings, weddings, communions, graduations.

She starts with her grandmother’s marriage and childbearing. Her grandmother Aurelia had many children, including Mary’s mother Anne, her firstborn. It was the depression. Money was tight and she was completely in love with her husband, sending the children to bed while the sun was still up so she could spend time with them. In addition to many live births, she suffered many miscarriages, which took a toll on her physically and emotionally. Anne was always achieving to earn her parents’ love.

She earned a scholarship to college and was happy there until a boy broke her heart. The book will be better if you read the secrets instead of me spilling them, so I’ll go on to Mary’s story.

Mary’s mother tried to make up for the love she felt was lacking in her own family by showering her and her brother with unconditional love. Mary, like her mother, was a high achiever, if for different reasons. The two remained close after Mary left home, but their relationship got a little more complicated as Mary’s life experiences became what Anne always wanted but never had herself.

Some of the secrets unveiled in this memoir include hoarding, sexual dysfunction, divorce, breaking a religious calling to the sisterhood, medical negligence and more. Mary Pflum Peterson is a journalist, and the telling strikes the balance well between telling and sharing. Some of the topics are sensitive and even sensational, but all are recounted with love and compassion, never over-sharing too much information for the sake of titillation.

This is a memoir for those who love memoirs. We’ve all had a mother. Many of us have had a daughter. We can all relate on some level to the struggles of being a mother or a daughter.

 

mary pflum peterson

Find out more about the author at the TLC book page.

tlc-logo-resized

Filed Under: Jennifer, Memoir

« Toby and the Ice Giants
Baker’s Blues »

Comments

  1. Mama Bear says

    August 19, 2015 at 5:23 pm

    Thank you for the interview. This sounds like a book I will read.

  2. Heather J says

    August 22, 2015 at 5:23 pm

    This sounds like a great memoir for a book club – there’s so much to discuss about being a mother and a daughter.

    Thanks for being a part of the tour!

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to 5 Minutes for Books. We are a team blog dedicated to sharing reviews and information about children's lit, fiction, memoir, and more. Read More…

Reviews

5 Minutes for Books

Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor

MEET OUR TEAM



Connect With Us


Pinterest

Community

Cybils Logo Draft 3

Disclosure:

Find out about our relationships with publishers and affiliate networks in our full disclosure statement.

Recent Posts

  • Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
  • The House of Eve
  • Bright and Deadly Things
  • Long Story Short
  • Stone Cold Fox

Categories

Privacy Policy    |     Disclosure Policy
Terms & Conditions
© 5 Minutes for Mom

Let’s Socialize

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Pinterest is Our FAVORITE!

Find and Follow Us at
pinterest.com/5min4books

Copyright © 2023 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316