Publication Date October 29, 2024

I tend to be a fan of multigenerational family sagas, so I was happy to receive a copy of Like Mother, Like Mother, by Susan Rieger from Random House/Dial Press and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was especially inclined to like it as it was described as female-centric (although I admit I still cringe at the term “women’s fiction.” 

The women in this story are in three generations: Zelda, her daughter Lila, and Lila’s daughter Grace. Zelda was abused by her husband Aldo right up until he had her committed to an asylum. Their three children included a set of twins and the youngest daughter Lila, who was also abused by Aldo. Lila doesn’t really remember Zelda, and she became the recipient of Aldo’s abuse until she left and began heer life and career, advancing to become executive editor of a major newspaper.  Lila isn’t positive that Zelda died, despite Aldo’s insistence that it was fact. Choosing career over motherhood, Lila depended nearly completely on her husband Joe to raise daughters, including the youngest, Grace (who felt abandoned by her mother). 

Grace became a  journalist and author, writing a bestseller that was “faction,” based on her family’s story (especially Lila). She realizes she doesn’t really know their whole story, so she sets out to discover the truth: had Zelda escaped the asylum and gone on to have a life of her own? Was Aldo really the horrible person he seemed? 

I LOVED the first half or more of the book, but TBH it was due to Lila in particular and Grace as well. Once the story moved to Zelda and Zelda-adjacent characters, it was fine, just not as mesmerizing as the first half. There is mystery, strong characters, unraveling of the realities of family, marriage, and career, and some laughs along the way. Recommended for anyone who likes multigenerational family sagas and strong female characters. Will be a good choice for book clubs. Four and a half stars.