Like mother like mother Is a challenging read because of all the generations of families that encompass the book... It's the story Of lives that are affected by cruelty and abuse and much disappointment but yet love and care and caring. As I got into the book It became more interesting and I enjoyed it to the fullest.

Susan Rieger has a unique and captivating writing style. It's bold and smart and I was hooked from the first page. I loved the story, with its rich characters and unique dynamics and relationships. I thought the the characters were unrealistically smart and quippy, but I could overlook that. The ending - finding out what really happened to Zelda - was both anticlimactic and fitting. I think the ending was too abrupt, but I wouldn't have changed how it happened.

This book is about 3 women, Lila Pereira, her daughter Grace and her Lila’s mother Zelda. Each woman has a portion of the book dedicated to their story. This story intertwines each of the woman’s story, allowing their story to unfold into the others, perceptions, hurt, anger and love, all show up in each woman’s story.

What an enthralling story, the characters are complicated and you can see the conflict between them from the beginning. The author did a wonderful job of expressing the frustration, the angst, the hurt of all the women. Each has preconceived notions and perceptions and, in the end, each realizes there is more than one side of a story. I didn’t particularly like Lila as a mother but I understood her by the end of the book. Well done.

Like Mother, Like Mother is a novel about three generations of strong women who must deal with having been raised by an abusive father and absent mother. Lila Pereira is incredibly hard-working and successful. Her upbringing by her abusive father (he was truly reprehensible) and a mother she has been told died after her husband committed her to an asylum has affected the way she raises her own three daughters. She makes sure they're well-cared for by their father but Lila has chosen to work long hours and immerse herself fully in her work as an executive editor at The Washington Globe newspaper (think Katharine Graham). Lila makes no apologies for her actions and lack of maternal caring. Her husband, Joe, is the true parent, but the lack of motherly love affects her youngest daughter, Grace. As an adult, Grace finds her own success but remains curious about what really happened to Lila's mother Zelda. Did she really die or did she escape? Grace sets out on a quest for Zelda that Lila herself never sought.

Susan Rieger has taken a look at the consequences of maternal involvement (or lack thereof) through three generations of women and the effects on those who love them. This challenges the traditional gender roles that are most often assigned to women. Through her characters, Rieger asks "How are we affected by the women in our lives who might dare to reject those roles and what has this cost those women themselves?" I'm not sure I ever understood generational trauma before, but this book certainly provides a good fictional explanation. There are many characters in the three generations with a guide at the front of the book in case you lose track like I did.

Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on October 29, 2024.

Throughout reading this book, I thought what an appropriate title Like Mother, Like Mother is. In some novels, it’s not clear what the title means, this title literally described the book. Lila had an abusive father and an absent mother. Supposedly her mother was sent to an asylum by her Dad and died there. This had a huge impact on Lila’s life. She dedicated her life to her job as an editor of a Washington DC newspaper. When she married Joe, she made it clear that even if they have children, she does not want that to interfere with her career and left all child rearing to her husband. They had three children, the first two Stella and Ava very close together, were almost like twins. Grace, the youngest was the result of an unwanted pregnancy.
Lila’s absence as a mother mostly affected Grace. Grace felt as abandoned by her mother as Lila did . Throughout the novel it is not clear what really happened to Lila’s mother Zelda. Did she really die in the asylum as Lila’s father Aldo claimed? You will have to read the book to find out. I liked the book very much, I thought the second half dragged a little, that’s why I am taking one star off.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley, opinions are my own.

To my surprise I enjoyed this book. It was definitely not what I expected but it kept me interested to finish it. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review

Thank you Net Galley for this advanced e-copy. This family story will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime. When Lila is 2 years old her mother is sent to an institution and she will never see her again. Her father, Aldo, has been abusing his wife and now he sends her away. He abusive attention is now on Lila because she will stand up to him even at such a young age. Lila becomes a very powerful business woman and marries. Her husband Joe is patient and takes on the "mother" role to their 3 girls. Grace the youngest may look like her father but has her mother's spirit. She longs for a traditional mother. So beautifully and honestly written!

This is a story about three generations of women, searching their roots. They want to know more about the women, who are their mothers and grandmothers. Lila, the first one searching to know more about her mother finds she died in an insane asylum, where in those many experimental treatments were conducted that caused more harm than good. Lila was only two when her mother was taken away, and she lived with an abusive father.
As a result of her hard work, Lila holds the powerful position of the executive editor of The Washington Globe. Her children are being raised by their father, with little connection to their mother. Lila’s daughter Grace, although she never had the kind of relationship with her mother she desired, later as an adult she too was successful, even writing a book about her mother.
This dysfunction continues through generations, each daughter whose mother pretty much neglected her, later as an adult rises in their chosen field that they choose to be more important over their own children. The pattern continues to repeat itself.
Although this story has some interesting twists and turns, as the story of each generation progresses, what I did not care for was reading about the abuse that also occurred.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

Truly one of the best books I’ve read this year! Susan Rieger pulls you into this story from the very first page, and never lets you go. The women are all interesting, complicated, intelligent, and most of all human.
This book would make an exceptional Netflix series, and I sincerely hope for that to happen!
Wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

This was a great book. Three generations of women that hold three generations of secrets. Set back in time in Detroit, it is such a twisty story. Buckle up, i enjoyed this read!

this is about a Jewish father who has his wife committed to an insane asylum, and what happens to the three children as a result..

I really enjoyed this book. It follows a Jewish family, an abusive father who has his wife committed to an asylum and the aftermath of what happens to those three children and their children. The characters are so well written I found myself thinking about them days after I finished the book. I recommend this book-something different. Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“There’s no walking into the sunset” . . .

“I’ve made a mess of things and there’s no way out except going forward”.

“Like Mother, Like Mother”, is daring. It’s got testicular fortitude. It has chutzpah!

Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction, Literary fiction (*wonderful fiction*) . . .
….Susan Rieger joins the ranks along those beside her who generously unleash a collision of universal forces: love, desire, ambition, loyalty….
….and dare I say viscerally evokes the gritty challenge—of motherhood - parenting - career- and marriage.
Delicious family storytelling.

It’s got all the juice….
….messy, quirky family-life-coming-of-age-storytelling for grown-ups, pitfalls of human existence: humanity subversiveness, sunshine and lollipops.
….dysfunction, trauma, (psychological generational trauma), secrets, lies, betrayal, abandonment issues, humor, stubbornness, loftiness, intelligence, obsessiveness, wit, insightfulness, childhood and adult complexities, successes, failures, loss, grief, tragedy, social issues, class, American culture, political remembrance, contemporary life, the mysterious missing Zelda, and plenty of drama.

I knew I was in for an exciting ride ….as soon as I read the cast list at the start. I love these type of books > a piercing examination of adult children - siblings - chaotic confusing times — both haunting & hilarious > with ‘women’ at the center of everything important.

Meet the Cast:
The Pereira-Maier Family:
Lila Pereira, executive editor, The Washington Post
Joe Maier, managing partner,
Sanger, Booth, Bennett &
Zimmerman, Lila’s husband
Grace Maier, 29, Lila’s youngest daughter, a writer.
Stella Pereira, 36, Lila’s oldest daughter, one of the Starbirds, a lawyer
Ava Pereira, 35, Lila’s middle daughter, the other Starbird, a lawyer
Francis Fieldstone Maier, Joe’s mother, Lila’s mother-in-law
Clara Pereira, Lila’s sister, a nurse.
Pola Pereira, Lila’s brother, a fireman
Aldo Pereiro, Lila’s father, a line worker at GM
Zelda Pereira, Lila’s mother
Bubbe (Marta Pereira), Lila’s grandmother, Aldo’s mother

The McGowan Family:
Ruth McGowan, Grace‘s college roommate and closest friend, a Podcaster
Ann McGowan, Ruth’s mother, a nurse practitioner
Gran (Ruth McGowan), Ruth grandmother

The Goldsmith Family:
Kathy Goldsmith , Ruth’s high school English teacher
Richard Goldsmith, Kathy’s husband, a lawyer
Nicholas ‘Nico’ Goldsmith, Kathy’s son, a twin, a doctor and a biomedical engineer
Alexander ‘Xander’ Goldsmith, Kathy’s Son, a twin, a film producer and show runner
Zayde, Richard’s father, the twins grandfather

The Berman Family:
Herbert Berman, an accountant
Frida berman, Herbert’s wife, also an accountant
Dennis Berman, Herbert’s son, a lawyer
Heidi Berman, Herbert’s daughter, a lawyer
Hilda Pessoa, Frida’s aunt

The Bates Family:
Bobby Lee Bates, a plant nursery owner
Jeff Bates, Bobby Lee’s brother
Jacqui Bates, Bobby Lee’s wife
Scarlett Bates Newton, Bobby Lee’s daughter

The Webb Family:
Charles ‘Chick’ Webb Jr., president of the United States
“Big Chuck” Webb, father of
Chick Webb
James and Robert Webb, Chick Webb’s sons

Standalones:
Doug, Marshall, publisher, The Washington Post
Frank Quinlan, obituaries, editor, The Cincinnati Courier
Artie Brinkman, Ruth’s college boyfriend
Josh Morgan, a Globe reporter, later a CNN anchor
Felicity Turner, a Globe reporter, one of Lila’s Pirates

A few tidbits….
“In the early weeks after Zelda‘s death, Lila spent Saturdays looking for her in the Hebrew Memorial Park.
No one went to services except for Bubbe, who went on the High Holy Days and sat upstairs. Her brothers never had a bar mitzvah, which was a local scandal. Aldo wouldn’t pay the fees”.

Lila was abandoned by her mother, Zelda, at two years of age when her mother suffered a nervous brakedoen and was committed to an asylum.
Lila and her siblings were raised by their abusive father (“a monster”, Lila said), named Aldo
and their grandmother, Bubbe.

Lila grew to become an ambitious working woman. She was dedicated to becoming a world renowned journalist.
Lila also married into a very wealthy family.
Joe was her adoring husband. A great-decent man.
They had three children (Stella, Ava, Grace), that were mainly raised by their father and nannies. Lila was more comfortable sitting in a board room (at The Globe), rather than a PTA room. Grace, her youngest child had a difficult time with their ‘Mother/daughter’ distant relationship.
As an adult, Grace writes a best selling book (about their family).
She then goes on a search to figure out what really happened to her grandmother, Zelda. (always assuming that Lila’s loss of Zelda as a young toddler affected the way Lila was a ‘hands-distant’ mother to her).
So, Grace, youngest child of Lila, best-selling author, sets out on a quest to learn the truth …..did Zelda die or run away?

“Like Mother, Like Mother”, has characters both likable and unlikable. The book questions what it means to be a mother. Can you be a career mother and a hands off and still raise decent adjusted kids? Why does one styling of mothering work for some kids but not others?

“Lila was Executive Editor of The Globe. She covered DC politics, the Senate, and White House”.
She worked long hours - more and more each year—rarely making it home for family dinners with her kids.
In her first year as executive editor, Lila put in nine hour days, weekends included. The next year, she put in nine-and-a-half-hour days. The year after that, she worked ten hours a day, the year after that, ten-and-a-half. Her workday kept growing incrementally.
In her sixth year, the 2008 campaign pushed her into twelve-hour days. She rarely came home for dinner.
Lila missed her kids High School graduations, their College graduations (at Stanford)….
But I had the best laugh when
“She thought she remembered Joe saying Stella was engaged. Could I have missed her wedding?”

Joe and Lila had been married thirty years. She couldn’t imagine a life without him.
But….
Joe said to Lila:
“You were a better wife, before Obama‘s first election. You were good enough. Now you’re not”.
“The 2008 and the 2012 Political campaigns were the high points of Lila’s first decade as executive editor. The 2008 primary, Obama vs. Clinton, was a win-win from her point of view. The country would likely elect its first woman or its first black president.
Lila was so focused on her work. Joe had enough. Their kids were adults. He wanted to separate….
But…
… it’s interesting how love, history (both personal and global can complicate actions in relationships) …
There are some powerful thought-provoking scenes we are gifted with to think about.

Susan Rieger’s writing is engaging. I think she could write about anything and make it glitter. She had suspense as well as lyrical descriptions.

This is a big-hearted-novel ….
We empathize with her characters — laugh plenty —
while also contemplating recognizable struggles of life.

Lustrous novel!

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. I very much enjoyed this story of three generations of women, the self-discoveries made, and the truths uncovered. Zelda, Grace, and Lila are all part of the same family, with the same traumas passed down through the generations. Zelda was put into an asylum by her abusive husband, and Grace never saw her again. Grace grew up to become a highly successful correspondent, but also lacking motherly tendencies toward Zelda, who grows up to become a successful author, but also sets out to find answers about Zelda. The women in this book have a lot of character and layers to themselves, and are generally relatable although maybe not always likeable. I appreciated the questions posed in this book, such as what it means to be a mother and can mothers also have careers, as well as the impact of generational trauma and one's upbringing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/The Dial Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like Mother, Like Mother is a 30 year family saga centered around Leila Pereira. Leila grows up in Detroit and loses her mother at a young age, to mysterious circumstances. Leila is very ambitious and builds a high powered career culminating in Washington DC as the Executive Editor of the Washington Globe. This story opens at Leila's funeral where her youngest daughter, Grace is dealing with mixed emotions about her often absent mother. Grace is a journalist herself and wrote a "tell all" type novel about her mother. This story flashes back to the mystery surrounding Grace's grandmother and Grace begins investigating this piece of the puzzle to help provide closure to her family. I really enjoy all things media related and this story had plenty of that glitz and glamour. Also of note, as someone who lives in Metro Detroit, I thought the authors descriptions of Detroit were historically accurate. This story had somewhat of a Judith Krantz/Danielle Steel vibe but with a younger voice. I look forward to more from this author. Thank you to the publisher and #netgalley for providing me an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of the most compelling contemporary novels I have read in years.
The description of the book didn’t do it justice::

It was a compelling family saga;
It was an intriguing generational mystery;
It was a compelling exploration of work/family balance;
It was a Hosannah to brash, ambitious women; and,
It was a story of the value of friendship, and
It was a series of sweet love stories.

Did I say I loved the book! It was thought-provoking, beautifully written and entertaining.
Netgalley provided me a complimentary e-galley in return for a candid review.

This book totally grabbed me with its focus on three generations of women: Lila, Grace, and Zelda. It’s all about how not just physical traits but also so many personality traits are passed down through the family, often in ways we don’t even realize.

I was really hooked on the mystery of what happened to Zelda—it kept me turning the pages. The characters were super interesting, though I found the dialogue a bit weird and old-fashioned. The conversations felt stiff and impersonal, and sometimes questions ended with periods instead of question marks, which threw me off a bit.

The book also has a strong left-leaning political angle, just something to be aware of.

It wasn’t my absolute favorite read, but it was definitely unique. I enjoyed getting into the women’s lives and seeing how their stories connected. Grace’s relationship with her mother, complicated by her mom’s busy job and reliance on nannies, was really touching. The storytelling was a bit tricky with its back-and-forth timelines, but it gave a cool, almost nostalgic feel. If you’re into stories about family dynamics and personal struggles, this one’s worth checking out.

An interesting tale that spans generations about shows how all family choices are intertwined. The author did a great job of presenting the characters. I felt as though the grandmother totally playing ignorant at the end was a little lacking and would have liked to develop that storyline more but interesting that they were similar “non-mothers” to all children despite different circumstances.

“Like Mother, Like Mother” by Susan Rieger is a beautifully crafted novel that delves into the complexities of mother-daughter relationships with wit and depth. Rieger’s prose is sharp and insightful, making the dynamics between her characters resonate with authenticity and emotional depth. The story unfolds with a series of letters, emails, and texts, a format that adds a modern twist to the narrative and keeps the pace brisk. While the novel occasionally feels slightly contrived with its reliance on epistolary elements, it still offers a compelling exploration of family ties and personal growth. It’s a rewarding read that earns four stars for its clever structure and heartfelt storytelling.

A novel for women about 3 generations of women, entwined. The Starbirds, a group of friends. The raveling and unraveling of relationships.

"I've been thinking a lot about your mother and mine," Grace said. "Having a baby does that to you. your perspective changes." And your perspective of influence, genetics, and decisions will shift as you read, too.

I found myself pulled in many directions as I read, hoping for a happy ending. And when I closed the book, I felt satisfied, if not exactly happy. Rieger is a storyteller, no doubt about it.

Recommended for when life is in a lull and you want to live in someone else's chaos and adventure.