National Network for Equitable Library Service

Author Pat Ross explores the bonds of mother, daughter relationships in Mother and Daughter Reflections. The many facets of this richly embroidered theme unfold before the reader's eyes in 65 revealing black-and-white images. These photographs are both vintage and contemporary and include posed portraits as well as spontaneous snapshots. The ages and stages of mothers and daughters are easily recognizable and familiar. A timeless image captures a touching moment after a daughter's birth; another shows a hair-combing session where both the hair and the relationship obviously have grown somewhat more tangled; yet another shows undeniable support and affection in seasoned smiles. As readers pour over these rich images, they will surely identify with the many moments and feelings shared between mothers and daughters of all ages, both yesterday and today. Pat Ross pairs engaging photographs with sensitive, and often witty, passages from the writings of a varied group of expressive women-from little-known historical pieces to selections by writers such as Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Kaye Gibbons, Louise Bernikow and Nancy Friday. This extraordinary collection nurtures as it celebrates the powerful ties between mothers and their daughters. These ties can be as varied as mothers and daughters themselves-quiet, dynamic, highly charged, playful, affectionate, sustaining, constant, offering unconditional love and searching for it still. There is something in Mother and Daughter Reflections for every woman-generations of mothers and daughters, sisters and other loving women in one's life.