“Our Revolution: A Mother and Daughter at Midcentury” (2020) is the third book poet/memoirist Honor Moore has written about her family, and is a remarkable and compelling tribute to the life of her mother Jenny McKean Moore (1923-73). Jenny Moore, a woman of faith, when she wasn’t closely involved rearing her nine children, spent most of her life advocating for civil and women’s rights, racial equality and social justice—and wrote the notable book: “The People on Second Street” (1968).

Honor Moore (1945-) educated at the Yale School of Drama and Radcliffe College, was living independently when her mother confided in her that she was having problems in her marriage. Honor wouldn’t begin to understand the meaning of her mother’s words until decades had passed. Her parents were a “power couple “of their time: Father Paul Moore Jr. (1919-2003) was appointed the Episcopal bishop of the diocese of New York. Honor’s wealthy prominent parents had once been received in the white house by President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, and were affiliated with notable politicians, academics, intellectuals and other famous individuals of that era.

When Honor’s mother passed away from cancer at age 50, Honor was bequeathed her mother’s papers, letters, unfinished writing and manuscripts--and was determined to be a successful writer. Honor wrote in great detail in “Our Revolution” of wealth and privilege, politics, women’s liberation, gay rights, the (Vietnam) anti-war demonstrations, and the great impact of social and cultural changes of the 1960’s-70’s.

Delving into the study of her family history, Honor eventually viewed her mother’s decision to pursue an independent life without self-pity or blame as heroic, though at the time Jenny Moore was harshly judged by others and likely forfeited a portion of her inheritance. It is also important to recognize that the gift of healing can occur within a family when situations and family history might be seen from another perspective. Family photographs generously included. Honor Moore is also the author of “White Blackbird: A Life of the Painter Margarett Sargent” (1996) - “The Bishop’s Daughter” (2008) - and three poetry collections, she lives in New York City. **With thanks to W.W. Norton and Company via NetGalley for the ADC for the purpose of review.

A beautifully written biographical narrative of the efforts of three generations of women (Margarett William Sargent, Jenny Moore, and Honor Moore) to define themselves as persons against the backdrop of male hierarchy and societal change over the course of the twentieth century. It is also the story of a daughter seeking to understand her mother as a person and make sense of her family's complex, panful, rich, and privileged history. It is this latter element -- the privilege and wealth that opened doors to contacts and experiences that most Americans will never know -- that at times made it hard for this reader, at least, to identify with the author's story, even though many of the themes in the narrative transcended class and race. Still the writing is impeccable and the integration of her mother's writings into the narrative gives this story an intimacy that is hard to resist.