Review of The Mother of Honey
-
Hilary Cooke
- Minimum Wage Millionaire Reader
- Posts: 25
- Joined: 03 May 2022, 11:10
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 17
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-hilary-cooke.html
- Latest Review: Private Diary of BBC News Cameraman by Bob Prabhu
Review of The Mother of Honey
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Mother of Honey" by Ana Maria Luisa.]
“The Mother of Honey” by Ana Maria Luisa tells the story of five generations of one family in Brazil. The history travels through the female line, from the 1920’s to modern day, with the main focus being the author’s mother, Iracy. Indeed, this book is a celebration of women, of motherhood and of survival. It is also an exploration of grief and loss for all women, but particularly for Luisa.
There are beautifully poetic passages throughout the book. These reveal the passion the author has for her family, but also for her home city of Sao Paulo.
The book opens in the present day, with the author facing the likelihood that her mother is dying. From this viewpoint, she looks back across the experiences of her female ancestors.
When Luisa starts to explore the history of her family, it is with the introductions and marriage of her maternal grandparents. There are aspects of this relationship that are troubling to us in the twenty-first century. Luisa handles these with sensitivity. However, she appears to transfer modern-day values onto the situation when it may have been viewed very differently at the time. It is unsettling to have the author expressing the thoughts and feelings of her great-grandmother in allowing the marriage, when she confesses to not even knowing the woman’s name.
This transference of her own emotions becomes somewhat of a theme throughout the book. As Luisa describes the problems and difficulties of her grandmother and her mother, one gets the feeling that she is viewing them primarily in relation to her own trauma and healing processes. She tends to transfer her own emotions onto her ancestors, perhaps without considering the differences of era and location. There is no doubt that Iracy and her mother, Francisca, experienced extremely challenging situations, but Luisa describes them from a modern perspective. A good example of this is Iracy’s reaction to the death of her sibling in childhood. Her grief is brief, and pragmatism takes over quickly. This is usual when child bereavement is a common occurrence. Luisa feels the loss more intensely because she comes from a generation where such deaths are, thankfully, less common. She seems a little bewildered by her mother’s response, attributing it to strength of spirit.
This is definitely a women’s story. It is about mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters. The men get little attention and even less sympathy. In the historical parts of the book, the men are almost one-dimensional. They are predominantly described as drunken and aggressive. One is left wondering if the women of the story were really this unlucky in their choice of husbands, or whether the author’s view may have been tainted.
The second half of the book moves into the lifetime of the author and her siblings. Here the tone changes slightly. It focuses more on Luisa’s childhood reminiscences. The book becomes less comfortable to read – a little like we are looking through someone’s personal diary. Luisa seems to be exorcising her private demons about her drunk father and her personal losses. It is brave writing, although there are moments where the pain is skimmed over alongside the times where it is explored. Some things are clearly too painful to expose.
This move into the modern-day events brings the book back to its starting point. In a satisfying, though sad, ending, we are back with Luisa as she rushes to her mother’s deathbed. The tale is completed.
Ultimately, it is refreshing to have a story told from a female point of view. The book is clearly a tribute to Luisa’s mother, and is written with compassion and tenderness. The stories are moving, and the poetic imagery has great beauty.
For these reasons, I rate the book three out of five.
******
The Mother of Honey
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“The Mother of Honey” by Ana Maria Luisa tells the story of five generations of one family in Brazil. The history travels through the female line, from the 1920’s to modern day, with the main focus being the author’s mother, Iracy. Indeed, this book is a celebration of women, of motherhood and of survival. It is also an exploration of grief and loss for all women, but particularly for Luisa.
There are beautifully poetic passages throughout the book. These reveal the passion the author has for her family, but also for her home city of Sao Paulo.
The book opens in the present day, with the author facing the likelihood that her mother is dying. From this viewpoint, she looks back across the experiences of her female ancestors.
When Luisa starts to explore the history of her family, it is with the introductions and marriage of her maternal grandparents. There are aspects of this relationship that are troubling to us in the twenty-first century. Luisa handles these with sensitivity. However, she appears to transfer modern-day values onto the situation when it may have been viewed very differently at the time. It is unsettling to have the author expressing the thoughts and feelings of her great-grandmother in allowing the marriage, when she confesses to not even knowing the woman’s name.
This transference of her own emotions becomes somewhat of a theme throughout the book. As Luisa describes the problems and difficulties of her grandmother and her mother, one gets the feeling that she is viewing them primarily in relation to her own trauma and healing processes. She tends to transfer her own emotions onto her ancestors, perhaps without considering the differences of era and location. There is no doubt that Iracy and her mother, Francisca, experienced extremely challenging situations, but Luisa describes them from a modern perspective. A good example of this is Iracy’s reaction to the death of her sibling in childhood. Her grief is brief, and pragmatism takes over quickly. This is usual when child bereavement is a common occurrence. Luisa feels the loss more intensely because she comes from a generation where such deaths are, thankfully, less common. She seems a little bewildered by her mother’s response, attributing it to strength of spirit.
This is definitely a women’s story. It is about mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters. The men get little attention and even less sympathy. In the historical parts of the book, the men are almost one-dimensional. They are predominantly described as drunken and aggressive. One is left wondering if the women of the story were really this unlucky in their choice of husbands, or whether the author’s view may have been tainted.
The second half of the book moves into the lifetime of the author and her siblings. Here the tone changes slightly. It focuses more on Luisa’s childhood reminiscences. The book becomes less comfortable to read – a little like we are looking through someone’s personal diary. Luisa seems to be exorcising her private demons about her drunk father and her personal losses. It is brave writing, although there are moments where the pain is skimmed over alongside the times where it is explored. Some things are clearly too painful to expose.
This move into the modern-day events brings the book back to its starting point. In a satisfying, though sad, ending, we are back with Luisa as she rushes to her mother’s deathbed. The tale is completed.
Ultimately, it is refreshing to have a story told from a female point of view. The book is clearly a tribute to Luisa’s mother, and is written with compassion and tenderness. The stories are moving, and the poetic imagery has great beauty.
For these reasons, I rate the book three out of five.
******
The Mother of Honey
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Private Diary of BBC News Cameraman by Bob Prabhu
