When the author was sixteen, her 60-year-old narcissistic mother left her family and moved into the house next door with a group of young male students.

The author recounts her unusual upbringing in London and the trials and tribulations she faced when abandoned by her mother. 

Brilliantly narrated by the author, this was a poignant and painful memoir about a very unconventional life.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Written as a narrative memoir, this book is an interesting look into a family dynamic that arises from influencing factors of war and revolution, being willing to step outside the norm, and a dash of possible narcissistic disorder.

Diane Danvers Simmons takes a look, as an adult and with the help of hindsight, history, past friends and her siblings, at the relationship she had with her mother. She weaves the types of trials her mother overcame in her life, from surviving two world wars, Ireland's revolution, significant deaths and more, to lay the foundation for why her mother makes the startling decision to leave Diane's father shortly after Diane's 16th birthday. The real kicker is that her mother had planned and prepared for this departure for years, and when she did, she moved in next door. Simmons reviews the ways that this was helpful and hurtful, the changing dynamics of the family and how they all moved on or adjusted into the best they could do.

Intriguing and bizarrely captivating, the story is as blunt as a teenager with the benefit of adulthood and soul searches through some interesting experiences.

#netgalley
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#mymothernextdoor

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* lmfao this was hilarious! The author is the age of my mother and neither of us are British but this was still so spot on. LOVED the monty python throughout

I wasn't expecting a memoir when I started but I'm glad I continued. What a wild life. Having your mom split from your dad and actually move next door. How does a young kid reconcile that and still come out a successful human being. It gives so much appreciation to how everyone's life is so different. I'm glad she shared her story.

Diane Danvers Simmons, the author & narrator, had a very unusual upbringing. She was dealt some weird cards - one of them being her mother moving next door with some college students. Simmons takes you on the journey of her life as well as some important parts of her mother’s past as well.

She narrates her story very well. At times it seemed she was telling her stories “out of order” but in the end it all came together to make a better sense of the past.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC. I enjoyed Diane’s story of her interesting life & encourage you to listen to her story as well.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of My Mother Next Door by Diane Danvers Simmons.

This is a true story about how the authors mom left her family to live next door with a bunch of young male students.

I walked into this expecting a solemn tale about the pain a young girl experienced being raised by a narcissistic mother, and how she is working through that trauma. Instead, it reads more like a "girl, fill up your wine glass, you will not BELIEVE this crazy story I'm about to tell you" style book.

I do not doubt that the author did in fact experience pain and trauma, but she approaches it in a light hearted almost (in my opinion) flippant way. Being able to listen to the author's voice probably helped to add to the "can you believe this guy?!" vibe of the story. Danvers Simmons is full of life and spunk, which definitely comes out in her story telling.

It's hard for me to rate books like this, because it's someone's personal story, which I don't like having to give "stars" to. Is it a story worth telling? Of course it is, it was an unusual and interesting story. Did I totally love it? I enjoyed it okay. It's pretty tame as far as the dysfunctional family tales go, but that doesn't make it any less worthy of telling. It rambled and lost me a few times, but overall it was a good story.

Within the first chapter i encountered the g slur twice. I immediately stopped reading. This is unacceptable.

A provocative story about the human spirit, freedom, forgiveness, and empowerment, but also healing.