OH MY GOD this. book. When @jordys.book.club said it was “REAL GOOD” he was not exaggerating. It reminded me, vibe wise, of two of my favorites from last year, Hello Beautiful and Tom Lake. The characters in this were just so so good. They were specific, interesting, unique but relatable, flawed but likable, I could go on and on. I was so sad to leave them and think they will stick with me for a while. The cast of side characters here was quite large, but in a way that I found to be enjoyable, and there is a list of all the players at the beginning which was clever to include. This book had so many insightful things to say on life’s various relationships and was a thoughtful exploration of trauma and survival. I also loved the way it touched on religion and the more secular Judaism exhibited by many of the characters. Cannot say enough good things about this one!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I liked this book, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. I'm a bit burnt out on multi-generational stories, which I didn't realize until opening this book. It's not that the book is bad (it's pretty good!), just personal preference.

Susan Rieger’s multigenerational story Like Mother ,Like Mother follows three generations of women from a Jewish family through a web of confusion, deceit, and domestic violence. One by one the women leave the family’s patriarch who is abusive and plain old repulsive, and each finds their way through career and personal happiness, though their measure of success is questionable and limited. The plot is clouded by a mystery when the patriarch’s wife disappears from her children’s lives. Without a mother’s influence, does one learn to nurture or are the limitations passed down? The characters in Like Mother, Like Mother are complicated and some are hard-edged making them less than ideal, but others have admirable qualities too, and they learn to navigate their lives to suit their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses. A tell-all book written as fiction troubles family members and shakes bonds. Rieger weaves a story with lots of twists in interpersonal relationships and lets her characters make mistakes. The dialogue is snappy and smart, the writing is complex, and the ending is satisfying, though a bit convenient, but rounds out the story. Ultimately, I enjoyed Rieger’s guidance through this family’s life and how certain traits can be passed down through generations with a variety of results. In addition, her side characters have rich stories as well. Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press/Random House for making this eARC available for my honest review.

THIS NOVEL! One of the two best books I've read this year.... it was everything I needed it to be! A multi-generational family story with plot twists and nuanced characters who were likable and complex. I will be shouting about this one to everyone I know!

Three generations of strong Jewish women try to understand their family relationships and why they are so determined to make their lives a success, often at the expense of their husbands and children. Did it all start with their grandfather, Aldo, who beat his wife and children? He later committed his young wife to an asylum where he says she died eight years later. But is that the truth or just the truth each generation has chosen to believe? What if Zelda lived and was able to leave the asylum? Where would she go? Why didn't she return for her children who were being beaten in her place? It takes three generations before Grace is brave enough to investigate what happened to Zelda. Her findings set off a chain reaction throughout the generations and bring into question exactly who are they?
Engrossing, sad, horrific and at times humorous, "Like Mother, Like Mother" takes an in-depth delve into what makes a family.

Like Mother, Like Mother is a multi-generational saga which I tend to really enjoy. This book fell flat for me. It was difficult to care about any of the characters and I didn’t feel invested in the mystery of what happened to Zelda. I had high hopes, because I live near Detroit and I lean left, so while I enjoyed the setting and those political influences, it was difficult for me feel connected. I do think that others will enjoy it, as I can’t really put my finger on what it was about the book. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger is a multi-generational story that drew me in immediately. I loved this wonderful novel with excellent character development that focuses on women.

If you are a fan of women’s fiction that tells the story of women from generation to generation and talks about the secrets sec? Like Mother, Like Mother is the next book for you.

I adored this novel about mothers and daughters and secrets and relationships. So well written and depth full. 5 stars.

I was invited to read this book and am thankful for the opportunity. Reading through the mystery on this book to find out what really happened to Zelda was the main element that kept me interested. The characters were quire interesting, but I felt that the dialogue was a little chaotic. I tried throughout the book but it just felt not cohesive. Not sure if the edit grammatically adds to this. I was also not too thrilled about the political notes found in the book.

Im sorry that I had a hard time with this book because I really wanted to like it.

In Like Mother, Like Mother, we have the story of three generations of women, told from the perspective of 2 of them. Lila Pereira was 2 years old when her abusive father committed her mother Zelda to an asylum in Detroit, and then 6 years old when she is told that her mother has died while in the asylum. Lila never looks back, and escapes Detroit and her father, becoming a powerful woman in the world of journalism, unapologetic about her lack of mothering skills. Grace Meier is Lila's youngest daughter, resents her mother for choosing her career over her family, writes a novelization of her mother's life, which is published shortly before Lila's death.
As the book explores first Lila's life as a child, then young adult, etc, we learn more about the abuse and trauma she withstood, and why she made the choice to distance herself as a mother and focus on her own career. After Lila's death, Grace is left with the mystery of Zelda's death or disappearance and comes to understand her mother better, while exploring the generational trauma she is left with.
The characterizations of this novel were well done, and while Grace and Lila are very similar in their personalities, they had their own distinct voices. I thought it was well done how the book explores how we deal with familial trauma, as Grace runs from her problems, and Lila confronts them head on. By the end of the novel, Grace shows strong character development and is able to obtain a better understanding and sympathy for her mother and the choices that she made.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Lila Pereira is only two years old in 1960. It would be the last time she ever saw her mother. Her father told her she is in a mental asylum and later tells her that her mother is dead and buried.

Lila couldn’t wait to be out of her father’s rule. A mean man who beat all of them, but Lila got out.

A beautiful girl with a lot of ambition, she becomes a legend in the reporting world. But Lila never learned how to be a mother and had no interest in being one. She marries Joe and he is good at raising children.

Lila has a one track mind and it isn’t on her family. Her youngest, Grace, resents her mother and yet follows in her footsteps. Even writing a book and that is when she realizes she knows none of her family story. As she sets out to find the truth she finds a lot of lies that were told to get her mother where she landed.


NetGalley/ RHPG/Dial October 29, 2024

This book is calisthenics for the brain. The rapid fire volley of dialogue, proposed reading lists for characters, mentions of actual events and characters had me googling and stopping for a breath every few chapters. At its heart, Like Mother, Like Mother explores the tenuous relationship between Grace and Lila, who was raised by an abusive father and believed her mother to be dead. Not knowing or wanting to know how to parent, she leaves the rearing of her daughters to her husband Joe and nannies. As a result, Grace resents her mother and loves her father, whom she resembles. But we see Lila’s traits in her, and these help her become a journalist, like her mother. Her quest for truth leads her to search for her grandmother Zelda because she questions if she really died. Full of deeply developed characters, heartbreaking relationships, and enough mystery to keep you reading, this novel shows the messiness of family and the undeniable bonds that permeate these relationships.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for the advanced copy to read.

Interesting, but a bit uneven story which begins in 1960 when Lila Pereira is two years old and her father has her mother committed to an insane asylum. Lila never sees her again.

Cut to thirty years later. Lila is the executive editor of the Washington Globe and has the world at her feet. She has three daughters, Stella, Ava and Grace, but she largely allows them to be raised by her husband, Joe. This arrangement works fine. Until it doesn’t.

Daughter Grace resents Lila and longs for a hands on mom who will do PTA meetings and be there for after school talks. However, Lila’s life also shapes Grace’s and she becomes a writer, eventually writing a roman a clef about her mother, which posits that Lila’s mother did not die in the asylum as Lila has always understood.

So, lots going on here, and while the author is generally successful with keeping all these balls up it can be choppy at times. The book also focuses on Grace, and I found Lila far more intriguing. Also, this is one of THOSE books/authors who believe that only a few cities, a few schools, a few people actually matter; if you don’t live in/didn’t go to/are not one of them you are a useless mouth breather. I hate those people.

Oh, and Ruth? Far too good to actually exist. I preferred Grace in her unlikeablity. So, it was, OK, I guess. But I didn’t go to Harvard, so my opinion doesn’t count anyway.

This is a well-done multigenerational book that has a perfect layout. It shows you how the thread between the past, present, and future is both strong yet possibly easily broken. Yet, it certainly plays into the old trope that you can pick your friends but not your family. While I was sad I didn't have enough time to read this in one sitting, it was easy enough to return to the storyline quickly. The title was made clear by the end of the book.

A great story, though the interweaving of characters and their stories was sometimes too jumbled. I kept through with it because I liked the interactions between the mother and youngest daughter, the mother’s approach to motherhood (leaving it to her husband!), the president Webb, who had some parallels in US History, and so much more. Well worth the read!

I requested this book because I liked the description. What I didn't realize was that I would absolutely love the book from beginning to end! Susan Rieger's carefully and thoughtfully crafted novel takes the reader through all of the emotions: love, hate, friendship, ambition, sacrifice, loss (and being lost), abuse, neglect, nurturing, resentment, laughter, and tears. The characters and story lines are so well written that you feel as though you have grown up with them and have known them all your life. You feel as though your are in the Pereira home in Detroit as you read about the early lives of Polo, Clara, and Lila.

Lila's story hits you in the gut and you find yourself hoping that someday she realizes that she is a strong, caring woman who made a straight flush out of the hand she was dealt from birth while acknowledging her lack of parenting skills. . While so many stories revolve around "absentee fathers" Rieger goes out on a limb and tells the generational story of "absentee mothers" while tying in mental health. Even while you are reading this, you have to root for and cheer on Lila, Zelda, Grace, and all the other flawed moms of the world. Nature versus nurture? A character flaw? All or none of the above?

When Lila is 2 years old her mother Zelda goes missing. Her abusive father told her and her siblings that he had his wife committed to an insane asylum. As the story unfolds the mystery of what happened to Zelda affects Lila’s parenting skills, as well as her children’s relationship with her and ultimately her grandchildren’s. Searching for the truth comes at a price. I found this to be a very slow buildup and almost abandoned it several times. In the end I was glad that I stuck with it. This ARC was provided by the Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Susan Rieger’s third novel is a multi-generational story with a backstory that is difficult to read. There are some triggers that readers should be aware of: primarily, child abuse and domestic violence, but also grief and loss. It is also the story of some very strong-willed women, and how they do—or don’t—balance family life and work. It is very well written, the dialogue is fresh and authentic. The story draws you in from the very first two sentences:
“Lila Pereira died on the front page of The Washington Globe. She also died on the front page of The New York Times, astonishing and gratifying The Globe’s publisher, Doug Marshall.”

The characters are all (or nearly all) well-developed, even though there are quite a few names to remember. The author has kindly given a list of the characters at the start of the book, and it includes how they connect with the main characters of the novel.

I loved this book. I couldn’t wait to get back to my Kindle throughout the day to read more, and I stayed up way too late two nights in a row because I just couldn’t put it down. If you enjoyed Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, I think you will also enjoy this one. One reviewer on Goodreads said that she will be “thinking about Lila, Grace, and Zelda for a long time.” I feel exactly the same way, but most of all, I keep thinking about how I can capture that same exact feeling and transfer it to my own writing. Susan Rieger, do you offer any writing workshops? Please get in touch if you do!

Thank you to NetGalley and Will Lyman of Random House Publishing for the ARC of this new novel! I really, really loved reading it and I am so happy to have discovered Susan Rieger’s work! I can’t wait to read her other two novels.
Like Mother, Like Mother will be published and out for sale on October 29, 2024!

Like Mother, Like Mother is a very well written multigenerational story about children living with an abusive father and an absent mother. Its characters are well developed and interesting as we are included in how they have survived and developed. There are so many intricate parts to this story that will hold your interest from beginning to end. It is wise, compelling, compassionate and thought provoking. I highly recommend reading it!!