Showing results for "mother and child" in Biographies & Memoirs

Ten years ago, Helen Naylor discovered her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for 30 years. After Elinor’s self-induced death, Helen found her diaries, which Elinor wrote daily for more than 50 years. The diaries reveal not only the inner workings of Elinor’s twisted mind and self-delusion, but also shocking revelations about Helen’s childhood. Everything Helen knew about herself and her upbringing was founded on a lie.

They were a family. The young father, haunted by his own parents’ disappointment, can’t manage to complete his doctorate, nor can he imagine being able to earn a living or pursue a career. Just as he comes to terms with being a stay-at-home dad, leaving his wife to provide for the family, she hits him with a shocking surprise. As the father begins to hope for a return to the lifestyle he enjoyed before fatherhood, he finally finds the inspiration to see something through to the end.

Jann Arden moved in to a house just across the way from her parents in rural Alberta to be close to them but also so they could be her refuge from the demands of the music business and a performing career. Funny how time works. Since her dad died in 2015, Jann cooks for her mom five or six times a week. Her mom finds comfort in her daughter's kitchen, not just in the delicious food but also just sitting with her as she cooks. And Jann finds some peace in caring for her mom, even as her mom slowly becomes a stranger.

A toddler's mother, both an intimate guide and an affectionate coach, writes to a pregnant friend about the transforming experience of motherhood.

Whether you're becoming a mum for the first time or you have children who are growing up faster than you could have ever imagined, motherhood can feel like the most joyful and yet the most daunting of times. But you're not alone. From the moment I knew my first baby was a girl I started to plan, hope and dream. I couldn't wait to experience that special bond, but I wondered how I'd feel about being a working mum, how I'd hold on to the person I am.

Patti M. Hall’s life is pitched into an abyss of uncertainty when a golf ball-sized tumour is discovered in her teenage son’s head and he is diagnosed with gigantism, a disease of both legend and stigma. After scrambling to access a handful of medical experts in the field, Patti learns that her son could grow uncontrollably, his mobility could be permanently limited, and his life could be cut short without timely and aggressive treatment. Patti’s attention shifts fully to her son, away from her relationships as well as her own career and health.

Amidst a tumultuous life of divorce, addiction, and destructive relationships, Barb finds herself on the brink of collapse. Little does she know that her world is about to shatter even further with the sudden death of her 13-year-old daughter, Molly. From the agonizing moment when Molly was rushed to the emergency room with excruciating headaches to the heart-wrenching decision to disconnect her from life support, Barb confronts the reckoning of a lifetime.

Lisa Montgomery presented her husband, Kevin, with their newborn baby girl, while a state way, police were investigating the brutal murder of 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett. She'd been found lying in a pool of blood, and investigators soon realized that someone had strangled Bobbie Jo to death, then cut the fetus from her womb. When they found Bobbie Jo's baby in Lisa's arms, they knew who was responsible for this grisly murder.

When Jessica's son Trey was diagnosed with autism, and she was learning to navigate new life situations, she searched for books written by people who were also living through it. The only books she could find were written by doctors. That was fine, but she was longing for a connection with someone who could relate to her family's issues. For a few years, she continued to search and was not successful at finding anything. That's when she knew that one day, she wanted to write a faith-based book about her family's experiences with severe nonverbal autism and the world of special needs.

By Heart shares the surprising story of one family's journey from compliant public schooling to radical home-based learning. This literary homeschool memoir takes readers from the tundra of Bethel, Alaska, to the placid farm country of Wisconsin, all the while exploring the homeschool lifestyle. Daring and compassionate, it portrays homeschooling as a progressive choice and thoughtfully examines classic homeschool tensions – homeschool decision, schedules and curricula, socialization, and the economics of co-parenting.

In this moving memoir, Shirley Smith, wife of NBA Champion and All-Star J. R. Smith, tells the story of giving birth to one of the youngest premature babies to survive - using her experience to heighten awareness of the crisis of Black maternal and infant health and pay tribute to Black women’s resilience.

At a dance workshop held to address the threat of the AIDS pandemic, the author admits she doesn't know how to be a mother to her gay son. With the help of women in her spirituality group, she learns to say yes to what life is asking of her son and of her as his mother. The author's best friend, dying of breast cancer, asks the author to accompany her through what turns out to be 14 days of her dying, ironically preparing this mother for what lies ahead with her own children.

Mummy's Still Here is the sequel to Jeanne D'Olivier's novel Mummy Where Are You? This novel tells the harrowing story of how a mother who reported the sexual abuse of her son was persecuted by the system and eventually lost her child to the very person he alleged had abused him. Charlotte continues to fight for her son through a series of endless court hearings and against all odds, leaving no stone unturned in her attempt to save her child and bring him home safely.

During the course of her neglected and abusive childhood, Wendy dreamed of a warm and bright haven of peace, far removed from her dreary, often painful surroundings. Even as she lived through the domestic violence and indifference of her parents and then fell victim to a sexual predator, she held on to her vision of happiness, love, and fulfilment. Slowly, as she grew into womanhood, she set about turning her vision into reality. This is the story of how she overcame a dysfunctional family, the nightmare of emotional and sexual abuse, loneliness and destructive relationships.

When star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Potomac Dr. Wendy Osefo was growing up, her mother was her everything. But when she became a mother herself, everything changed. In this “exquisitely-drawn portrait of the intense bond that only a mother can have with a daughter” (Katie Haufner, author of Mother Daughter Me), Wendy explores how her Nigerian upbringing has affected her life, her success, and her role as a parent.

This new audiobook contains the 101 best stories and poems from Chicken Soup’s library honoring the lifelong relationship between mothers and their male offspring. Heartfelt and loving stories written by mothers, grandmothers, and sons, about each other, span generations and show how the mother-son bond transcends time.

The book details an African American mother's rise from the poverty of being orphaned at age 4 with 15 siblings, the lessons her struggles and rise taught her children, and her approach to single motherhood and parenting. Her tactics and rationale are backed by scripture, practical application, doctoral level studies, research and professional journals. She teaches that a life without excuses is a life without limits. If she did it, you too can succeed in spite of....

As a twelve-year-old girl, Maria Housden’s vision of a happy future included everything that society expects girls to yearn for: a home, a husband, and, of course, children. Life had other plans.

As a 12-year-old girl, Maria Housden's vision of a happy future included everything that society expects girls to yearn for: a home, a husband, and, of course, children. Life had other plans.

Holly is a book about a mother and her daughter who was born with Down syndrome. It is a story of how love doesn’t always come on time and how the unexpected can make a person become more than one ever believed. Holly enters into life with heart disease and is a ticking time bomb. She evolves into a young and wise married woman who asks, “How do I be a good wife, Mom?”