Mom

March 8, 2010
In time for Mother's Day, Isay brings a satisfying second collection of StoryCorps selections after the bestselling Listening Is an Act of Love
. Throughout 30,000 recorded interviews by everyday Americans are numerous memories of parents, and among the many mothers who share their stories in this collection are mothers of every variety—single, working, stay-at-home, with one child or a dozen. A couple describe an unexpected camaraderie between their mothers: one American, the other Ethiopian: “My mom would speak in English, and your mom would speak in Amharic, and then they'd laugh and throw their hands up.” A mother of 12 tells her youngest, age 12, about her oldest, a soldier killed in Iraq. Reunited at age 60 with the son she reluctantly gave away, Hilory Boucher tells him what happened as she rode away from a Boston home for unwed mothers: “You were handed off to a social worker at a stop on the Merritt Parkway, with your pink bunny and your layette.” Readers will encounter an emotional range from heart-wrenching to inspirational in these compelling maternal accounts. Photos.

April 1, 2010
For the past seven years, the oral-history project called StoryCorps has collected audio recordings of the life stories of Americans in all 50 states and preserved them for future generations in the Library of Congress. This latest collection is a thematic sampling of interviews between brothers and sisters, mothers and children, friends and relatives that celebrate the unique mother-child bond. Siblings reminisce about their recently deceased mothers sense of humor; an immigrant recalls sadly how his mother had to leave her children with extended family until she had enough money saved to send for them. A man adopted from an orphanage tracks his mother down after 54 years, finally hearing how she struggled with giving him up; two sisters remember how their mother always found room in a tight budget for a once-a-month popcorn and movie night. Children share memories of mothers in eulogies; a gay man treasures his mothers steadfast expression of unconditional love. This latest compilation of StoryCorps vignettes will resonate with readers from varied backgrounds and different generations, spurring their own, perhaps long buried, memories.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)