In My Mothers House Harper Colophon Books

In My Mother's House is more than a story about four generations of women; more than a documentation of communism, socialist idealism, and its subsequent disillusionment; more than proof of the existence of women who have struggled to fight for what they believed in with bravery and persistence. More than any of this, In My Mother's House is about healing. The book begins with conflict: Rose Chernin asks her daughter, Kim, to write down the story of Rose's life as a communist organizer. Through years of struggling with her own identity and her mother's ideal vision of her, Kim Chernin has separated herself from her mother, and she is wary of the project, not wanting to "face their secrets and silences" or "wake the family's ghosts." Her powerful and persistent mother persuades her, however, and with relaxed sentences that drift into stories of the past, Kim Chernin skillfully, colorfully, and with great affection brings us into the culture of Russian Jews. In the end, she finds writing down the pain in daring honesty allows growth, empathy, and finally understanding, and takes down the walls separating mother and daughter. And as Kim Chernin says "Tell me a story Mama," she is keeping alive a flame handed down to her, one that she will pass on to her own daughter. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Gloria Bauermeister