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May 7, 2022·edited May 7, 2022Liked by Elizabeth Marro

Enjoy your Mother's Day celebration, Betsy! I recently finished The Giver of Stars and marveled at the multi-dimensional character, Margery. She was determined to be independent and almost manlike, the core of her success as a WPA librarian on horseback in Appalachia. Unanticipated motherhood altered her life significantly.

The most haunting book on motherhood I ever read was Sophie's Choice...

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Happy Mothers Day, Betsy. I'm almost done with East of Eden. I'm glad Cathy Ames was included on one of the lists. A mother who works in the world's oldest professions after abandoning her husband and children days after the birth.

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Wishing you a Happy Mother's Day, Betsy...whatever makes you happy, that's what I want for you.

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Jun 11, 2022·edited Jun 12, 2022Liked by Elizabeth Marro

Another great read. Mothers are after all... people. They make the best decisions they can or make decisions that serve a greater good, even if it’s a negative effect on their child. They skip milestones for work, they get overwhelmed and dismissive, they are subject to the effects of trauma and react instead of maturely respond. Women have the right to be unlikable and more women probably should be. We cheer for male anti-heroes. Why not cheer for a woman with complexity? It’s a challenge.

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Thanks, Betsy, for this great discussion and for including Jane Austen in it!

I just finished the Ann Patchett book The Dutch House, and it explores a strong, complicated theme of motherhood. It's a portrait of motherhood that challenges our perceptions, and ultimately is just beautiful and transformative in a way that fiction is made for!

Have a beautiful mother's day, Betsy and Spark friends -Janet

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