To say that I loved Mother, Like Mother would be an understatement. I absolutely adored this book. The storyline is creative and the added mystery of Zelda was the cherry on my sundae. The characters are well-drawn, and it is hard for me to say goodbye to them, especially Grace, Ruth., Frances, and Joe. I would be so happy to hear that the writer has a sequel in her back pocket, chronicling the lives of Grace, Ruth, the Starbirds, and, perhaps, a wonderful wife for Joe.

Grace’s mother, Lila, is not particularly motherly. She is never around when her girls are growing up and leaves all the parenting duties to their father, Joe. Lila grew up without a mother in her life and she warned Joe that if he wanted kids then he would need to assume the role of both parents.

Grace grew up to write a book titled, “The Lost Mother”. loosely based on her life, that has some accusatory claims against her accomplished mother and an imagined destiny for her unknown grandmother. Lila was a fierce reporter who got her toughness from growing up in a violent home in a rough area of Detroit. She carried a switchblade all her life, and cried at the Eminem movie, 8 Mile, because it brought back memories of the neighborhood she came from.

Grace is determined to find out the truth about what really happened to Lila’s mother, Zelda. Through DNA testing websites and detective work, with the help of her two sisters who are lawyers, they track down some answers.

I admired the ambition of Lila, Grace, and Grace’s roommate Ruth, who all worked very hard to become successful in their careers in journalism/writing/podcasting respectively. The end of the book is definitely the most exciting part (the novel is broken into 3 parts: Lila, Grace, Zelda) to be able to uncover the truth behind stories that have been believed and skepticized in this family for far too long.
This novel is an excellent exploration of family relationships, and the physical and personality traits that are passed down and differ among family members. It highlights how found family, like spouses, in-laws, college roommates, can fill the gaps and be better for us than blood relations.

"Like Mother, Like Mother" is about three generations of strong women and raises the question of how much of our personality and ambition is shaped by genetics versus nurtured in our upbringing. It also offered an interesting look at the choices that we make in the name of survival and the ripple effect that they have. The writing was fantastic and immersive, and I really enjoyed this book.

The book follows the story of Lila, whose abused mother was committed to an asylum when Lila was just a baby, through her career pursuits and raising her own daughters, including Grace, who has followed in her mother's footsteps as a journalist and published a book about her often-absent mother.

I love books that explore the relationships between mothers and daughters, and this one had some great development of unconventional female characters who were deeply invested in their careers and strong in their identities. There are, in fact, very few male characters in the story, with the author focusing on the women. Readers who love layered multigenerational stories about complex women will really enjoy this book. While the characters are not always likeable and make some questionable decisions, to me, that made them all the more fascinating and real.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From Random House Publishing: Detroit, 1960. Lila Pereira is two years old when her angry, abusive father has her mother committed to an asylum. Lila never sees her mother again. Three decades later, having mustered everything she has—Lila rises to the pinnacle of American media as the powerful, brilliant executive editor of The Washington Globe. Lila unapologetically prioritizes her career, leaving the rearing of her daughters to her generous husband, Joe. He doesn’t mind—until he does.

But Grace, their youngest daughter, feels abandoned. As she grows up, she cannot shake her resentment. She wants out from under Lila’s shadow, yet the more she resists, the more Lila seems to shape her life. Grace becomes a successful reporter, even publishing a bestselling book about her mother. In the process of writing it, she realizes how little she knows about her own family. Did Lila’s mother, Grace’s grandmother, die in that asylum? Is refusal to look back the only way to create a future? How can you ever be yourself, Grace wonders, if you don’t know where you came from?
****************
My review: This book pulled me in immediately and held me. Lila was fascinating. Self aware, strong, brave and commanding. But yet, afraid of what she didn't want to know. Grace started off as brash and demanding, but that's understandable for a child who craves a parent's attention. I wasn't sure how I felt about Grace's novel but I did want to know the truth about Zelda.
I loved the political commentary. Real life was part of the book (Hillary, Barack) except for the corrupt, disgraced president Lila took down. He was fictional but used a lot of words like "big, great, tremendous". lol.
I guessed the ending about 80% through the novel but it was still satisfying to read. Grace grows, learns and moves ahead. It's a story of a family, of mothers and how choices affect generations. Also, the current day issue of how DNA and genealogy sites can upend families and sometimes, bring them together.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Highly recommend.

Like Mother, Like Mother reads like a play. Fully developed characters, clever prose, and compelling plot make for a well-rounded story. 4 Stars.

I had heard really good things about this book so I was so excited when I received an ARC! This was a very engrossing tale about multiple generations of strong women, and how sometimes being a strong woman does not necessarily mean being a great mother. I read this book very quickly, over the course of three days, because I was so interested in seeing how everything would come together.

One of the main characters is Lila, who originally seems to be the mother from which the story begins. Lila's own mother was killed when Lila was young, and her father was an absolutely awful person who abused her and her siblings. Despite her terrible childhood, Lila goes on to become an extremely successful newspaper editor and eventually, a mother herself. However, if you were to ask her daughter Grace, Lila left a lot to be desired as a mother. Later in the book, we learn that Lila is not the beginning of the story after all.

I really liked this book and felt like I knew the characters by the time I finished it. I found it to be engrossing and an absorbing family drama similar to Mary Beth Keane's Ask Again, Yes and Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano.

***Thank you to the publisher for my digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!***

I tend to be a fan of multigenerational family sagas, so I was happy to receive a copy of Like Mother, Like Mother, by Susan Rieger from Random House/Dial Press and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was especially inclined to like it as it was described as female-centric (although I admit I still cringe at the term “women’s fiction.”

The women in this story are in three generations: Zelda, her daughter Lila, and Lila’s daughter Grace. Zelda was abused by her husband Aldo right up until he had her committed to an asylum. Their three children included a set of twins and the youngest daughter Lila, who was also abused by Aldo. Lila doesn’t really remember Zelda, and she became the recipient of Aldo’s abuse until she left and began heer life and career, advancing to become executive editor of a major newspaper. Lila isn’t positive that Zelda died, despite Aldo’s insistence that it was fact. Choosing career over motherhood, Lila depended nearly completely on her husband Joe to raise daughters, including the youngest, Grace (who felt abandoned by her mother).

Grace became a journalist and author, writing a bestseller that was “faction,” based on her family’s story (especially Lila). She realizes she doesn’t really know their whole story, so she sets out to discover the truth: had Zelda escaped the asylum and gone on to have a life of her own? Was Aldo really the horrible person he seemed?

I LOVED the first half or more of the book, but TBH it was due to Lila in particular and Grace as well. Once the story moved to Zelda and Zelda-adjacent characters, it was fine, just not as mesmerizing as the first half. There is mystery, strong characters, unraveling of the realities of family, marriage, and career, and some laughs along the way. Recommended for anyone who likes multigenerational family sagas and strong female characters. Will be a good choice for book clubs. Four and a half stars.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER
Susan Rieger

This is my first time reading Rieger. I enjoyed my time reading LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER. I found it to be both timely and prescient with us being on the dawn of this election season.

She being Grace, her being Lila, are daughter and mother.

There is no one she would rather be less like, and no one she resembles more. Their relationship is complicated. Full of disappointment and broken promises never given. Part of her is blood let to strangers that others interpret more as a willing donation.

There is a comfort in the river that runs between them. And loneliness resides in the current. Abandonment flows underneath. Constant and enduring.

She is reading the teleprompter and missing the message of the speech. The intention behind it, the driving force, is something she has never had the pleasure of knowing. For her, there is a lack of sincerity. A little bit of do as I say, not as I do. Her words do not match her walk; her heart ungiven. Because it was never hers to begin with.

I recommend this to those of you who found a home with the characters of SUCCESSION. It shows that women are as varied as their male counterparts. Men do not own the drive for success, and women have a place on boards other than the PTA. But nothing is without sacrifice.

The writing is smart, and the unflattering angles of Lila’s life are a reflection we can see ourselves in. Life is messy and we are intricate, delicate creatures. Splashing around in the mud and muck, trying to stay clean.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press for the advanced copy!

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Like Mother, Like Mother" by Susan Rieger is a captivating multi-generational family saga that explores the intricate dynamics between mothers and daughters across three generations. The novel delves into the lives of Lila Pereira, a driven, successful editor, her daughter Grace, and the shadows of family secrets that have shaped their lives. Beginning in Detroit in the 1960s, the story touches on themes of abandonment, ambition, and the powerful influences of family legacy.

Lila, at two years old, is separated from her mother when her abusive father has her committed to an asylum. This traumatic event reverberates through Lila’s life, affecting how she raises her own daughters, particularly Grace, who grows up feeling neglected due to Lila's career-focused priorities. As Grace matures, she becomes a journalist and writes a book about her mother, only to discover how little she truly knows about her family’s past, particularly her grandmother’s fate.

Rieger’s writing is praised for its sharpness, humor, and emotional depth. The novel effectively captures the complexities of familial relationships, especially the generational tensions between mothers and daughters. It also examines the idea of how much of our identity is shaped by the stories we inherit from our parents and the lengths to which we go to forge our own path.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy character-driven, emotionally resonant family dramas. Fans of Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful or Meg Wolitzer’s work will likely appreciate Rieger’s nuanced portrayal of strong-willed women navigating the challenging balance of career, family, and personal identity​.

I had read and enjoyed the author's two previous novels, so I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I absolutely loved it. I think each novel Rieger has written is better than its predecessor, and they're all completely different styles. It's a complex story with fascinating characters. I had to draw a family tree for myself to keep track of the many characters at the beginning, but as I got into the story, it wasn't needed. The author did a wonderful job bringing her unique characters to life, and I was fascinated by their lives. I appreciated the humor mixed in with the dramatic events in the book, especially the humor related to political events. I loved how friends became incorporated into every generation of each other's families despite religious and "class" differences. It was also interesting to have some role reversals from the usual family dynamics. I liked reading about the ethics related to writing books based on one's family, even in disguised form, and the impact on the subjects. I think this book would be an excellent choice for book discussion groups. I highly recommend it, and I hope I won't have to wait so long to read her next book.

A fascinating book, slightly strangely written (often hard to follow due to murky composition) but a worthy book nonetheless. Will be talked about I’m sure!

The women in this book are unapologetic, brash, truthful and hard edged. But they are also loyal, responsible and care deeply. I liked them very much! The men were important as spectators, endlessly devoted and cheering on their incredible women. All except the one man whose cruelty and selfishness created the mystery of the lost mother. It felt deliberate to create weaker men and stronger women throughout. But the weaker men were strong like 1950s housewives, holding the family together, picking up everyone’s slack.
The writing was succinct, no time spent on endless descriptions of place and surroundings. This was dialogue heavy, always my preference. And the dialogue was brilliant. I read this in one sitting.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

An amazing cross generational novel following 3 women as they navigate their past and relationships to each other.

4.5 stars! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel by Susan Rieger who depicts women as they should be - complex, ambitious, loving and forgiving. I was a bit surprised at the onset of this novel that there was a guide to all the characters and near the end , understood why. I enjoyed how the book was developed from different points of view and how it spent lots of time in the "grey". People (women) are not black and white - and Rieger understands that deeply. I also appreciated how important women friendships were in this novel - chosen family for sure. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC and I look forward to more offerings by Susan Rieger. Read this! You will be glad you did.

I love a good family saga, especially when the focus is on the women. In 1960, Lila Pereira’s abusive father has her mother committed to an asylum and she never sees her again. Lila grows up to be an esteemed editor for the Washington Globe and her career becomes the most central focus of her life. Lila’s husband, Joe, is the primary caregiver to their daughters but, in spite of his best efforts, the girls struggle with abandonment issues with their mother. This is a complicated story spanning from the 1960’s to modern day and explores multigenerational trauma, domestic violence and begs the question “how do we break the cycle of generational sin”? There is also a compelling mystery that drives the plot line. I found this story to be engaging, heart breaking and witty at times to break the tension, it was very well written. Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on October 29, 2024.

I know a lot of people are enjoying this book, but I honestly was so confused by it. It read to me like one massive chaotic mess. The timeline didn’t seem like it lined up, and it was just all over the place for me. I had such high hopes, but unfortunately this book just was not for me.

Like Mother, Like Mother charts three generations of women from the 1960's in Detroit through the present day in Washington DC. Secrets are uncovered and challenging relationships between mothers and daughters emerge. The book is split into three sections- one focusing on Lila who grows up in Detroit. Her father was horribly abusive, and he had her mother Zelda committed to Eloise Hospital (a side note- if you'd like to learn more about that real hospital the book "Annie's Ghosts" is fantastic) and he tells his children that she died there. Lila flees her home as soon as possible and ultimately marries a man who comes from substantial wealth. Lila is incredibly focused on her journalism work, and while her and her husband Joe have three children, her job is her passion and she becomes editor of a major newspaper in DC, breaking political scandals. A minor point I found odd was most of the political stories discussed in the book are true, but the author has one fictional president that just seems like an odd choice. The second part of the book focuses on Grace who is Lila and Joe's youngest daughter who feels quite abandoned by her mother, and she finds herself in the same career path as her mother. The final section is about Zelda who is Lila's mother. I found Lila to be the most fascinating character in this book and she's really the linchpin of the story. I wish more time could have been spent on Zelda's backstory, and I found myself not particularly engaged with Grace's grievances. But I appreciated the common threads shared by the different generations of women (the title of this book is appropriate) and many will enjoy this one!

Thank you to the Dial Press (Random House) for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

I loved this story which explored three generations of women. There were also secrets and fun, a perfect mixture.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A great story about the complicated relationship between mothers, daughters, and the sense of self. There were a lot of characters, so I’m glad I read this on my kindle and could search the names when I got confused. Definitely my favorite ARC read so far. Thank you NetGalley!

Susan Rieger writes a fascinating multi-generational drama featuring 3 distinctly different, flawed women we follow through time, exploring mothers and motherhood, family, relationships, who they are, what has shaped them, and repercussions of past history. Lila Pereira is a toddler when her abusive father has her mother, Zelda, committed to an insane asylum, she never sees her mother again, as later she is informed she has died. Despite the traumatic background she and her twin sisters are raised in, Lila grows up into a fiercely determined and tenacious woman, she marries Joe, but her strong ambitions ensure she is career driven, rising to the top of her field.

Lila becomes recognised, acclaimed, and celebrated as the executive news editor of The Washington Globe, and has 3 daughters, Stella, Ava, and Grace, but it is her career that is the focus of her energies. She and Joe have a non -traditional marriage, unusually they swap the 'expected' gender roles as it is Joe who stays at home, but it leaves Lila, as a mother, distant from her daughters, but this is who she is, she can give no more to her family. However, her youngest child, Grace, is far from happy with this situation, wanting more from her, wanting a mother genuinely interested in her and involved more closely with the family. Becoming a successful writer, Grace becomes engaged in writing about her mother, and involved in the intriguing mystery of her grandmother, Zelda, what did really happen to her?

Rieger writes vibrantly of generational trauma, the complexities, emotions, dynamics, and legacies of families, personality traits, dysfunctions, that mothers cannot fit into one size fits all roles, what might be expected from them, the social norms and expectations, and the inner needs and desires of mothers and children. The characters are not necessarily particularly likeable, but I was engaged with them and immersed in their individual stories. When I reached the end, I was left reflecting on the women, their strengths and weaknesses, the question of identity, influences, how its hard to escape the repercussions of the families we grow up in and so much more.

The themes and issues resonate, families are the foundations, bricks on which society is built, which is why this novel is likely to appeal to a wide range of readers. Many thanks to the publisher for and ARC.