Mothers and Daughters

"Why are these books....so endlessly appealing. The stories they tell are relentlessly uplifting; in fact, you begin to feel as if you're watching the climatic scene of a hundred television docudramas.....But no matter how terrible things get, the message of every single one of these photographs and vignettes is that the love between mothers and daughters is stronger than any obstacle, even death....And the astonishing thing is that these books actually manage to reassure the adult readers. You feel better as you read them. They are as effective as a lullaby, as soothing as a teething ring. They give you the warm feeling of comfort food, like eating mashed potatoes, rice pudding and grilled cheese sandwiches. The message is that, no matter what, your mother will always be there....One has to imagine that these books are primarily bought as gifts and wrapped with big ribbons and floral wrapping paper. Mothers give them to daughters and daughters to mothers. They're a way of saying all sorts of things you don't normally say. They contain darker confessions of discontent and infuriation reassuringly packaged into an overall picture of affection and love. These books turn every day into Mother's Day.Saline, Carol is the author of 'Mothers and Daughters', published 1997 under ISBN 9780385481250 and ISBN 038548125X.