RAISING, AND LOSING, MY REMARKABLE TEENAGE MOTHER

In this debut memoir, a woman describes her unconventional relationship with her mother, a teenage parent.

“She was fifteen; he was nineteen….Vietnam was raging,” writes Aaronson in her opening chapter. With the imminent possibility of young men being called to serve overseas in the war, sex seemed like the “next natural step” for the teenage couple. They broke up soon after, with Cindy—the author’s mother—later discovering she was pregnant. Compelled to marry, Aaronson’s parents divorced while she was still a baby. The author describes being raised by a young and inexperienced single mom and the burgeoning understanding that Aaronson was meant not only to be her mother’s daughter, but also her “mother’s mother.” As a child, the author was taken to pot parties where she earned the lifelong moniker Doobie. Growing older, she recalls the freedom given to her by her mother and how they became great friends. Their bond was tightened in later life when Cindy (who changed her name to Briana in the late 1970s) fell ill, first with multiple sclerosis and then cancer. As a caregiver, Aaronson recounts her mother’s treatment and use of holistic therapies. The author’s writing is plainly conversational in tone, on occasion addressing readers directly: “You may be wondering how my dad and grandparents fit into this orbit of my mom’s and mine.” Although straightforward, Aaronson’s approach has a disarming charm and is warmly intuitive: “She had grown up adoring her baby dolls, and I was basically her most extraordinary one yet, being live and all.” The author includes transcriptions of her text exchanges with her mom, which add a deeper layer of intimacy, although certain conversations may make some readers uncomfortable: “Her: I’m feeling very anxious right now. My damn stoma has herniated and it’s sticking out really far! Great / Me: Oh no! What the??? Don’t worry…I’ll stick it back in at the airport.” Those who are skeptical about alternative therapies and mediumship may also struggle with this book. Illustrated with family photographs, this frank and affecting work is a deeply personal celebration of maternal love that avoids the pitfall of being narrowly anecdotal by exploring broader issues of personal identity, family lineage, and struggles with grief.

An intimate and moving account of a singular bond.