Everything My Mother Taught Me

Everything My Mother Taught Me by Alice Hoffman is part of the Amazon Original Inheritance Collection. At just 24 pages long, this coming-of-age story is an impactful read. A strong leading character and a troubled mother-daughter relationship make the narration even more engaging.

The story is set in 1908 in cold wintry Massachusetts, where 12-year-old Adeline lives with her controlling and neglectful mother, Nora. After her mother’s stern warning to not speak a word about her treachery, Adeline decides to stop speaking. Her father’s demise and mother’s new job in a lighthouse on a far-flung island result in the mother and daughter moving away from their home in Boston. The beautiful young widow with her wily ways starts an affair with Rowan Ballard, who is already married to Julia and has a son.

With time, Adeline and Julia become close. Even though Adeline knows about the affair, she remains silent and doesn’t tell Julia about it. She remains true to her vow until the day when she comes up with a plan that doesn’t require breaking her promise. And her note gives a fresh lease on life to Julia, her son, and Adeline herself.

The author packs so much in so few pages and that too with perfection!

Hoffman’s writing is powerful and poetic. The well-fleshed characters add immense strength to the narration. Nora’s narcissistic nature is highlighted perfectly, and so is Adeline’s quiet strength and character.

Deeply atmospheric, engaging, and emotional, Everything My Mother Taught Me is a well-written, unforgettable story with a clear plot structure, a good pace, and a stunning ending. Highly recommended!

There are those who insist that mothers are born with love for their children and place them before all other things, including their own needs and desires. This was not the case with us.

Wordsopedia Rating 4.5/5

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About the author

Alice Hoffman is the author of over thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew, The Rules of Magic, The Marriage of Opposites, Practical Magic, The Red Garden, the Oprah’s Book Club selection Here on Earth, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, and The Dovekeepers. Her most recent novels are The World That We Knew and Magic Lessons. Born in New York City, she currently lives near Boston, Massachusetts.

Get in touch with the author on her website.