My Mother Was Right: How Today's Women Reconcile with Their Mothers

Preface

Acknowledgments

Mothers and Daughters

1 The Journey 3

2 The Way They Were 27

3 Always Have Something to Fall Back On 45

4 Stand On Your Own Two Feet 63

5 Just Wait Until You Have Children of Your Own 81

6 In God, All Things Are Possible 109

7 Manners Don't Cost Money 131

8 An Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree 151

9 My Son Is My Son 'Til He Gets Him a Wife, But My Daughter's My Daughter All Her Life 167

10 You'll Never Miss the Water 'Til the Well Runs Dry, and You'll Never Miss Your Mother 'Til She's Gone 189

11 Coming Home 205

Epilogue 215

Appendix A: Survey 221

Appendix B What Our Mothers Told Us: A Cliche for Every Occasion 233

Notes 243

Index 247

About the Authors 251