From âa writer whoâs absolutely going placesâ (Roxane Gay), a remarkable, inventive debut memoir about a mother-daughter relationship across cycles of poverty, separation, and illness, exploring how we forge identity in the face of imminent loss.
Growing up, Erika Simpsonâs mother loomed large, almost biblical in her life. A daughter of sharecroppers, middle child of ten, her origin story served as a kind of Genesis. Her departure from home and a cheating husband, pursuing higher education along the way a kind of Exodus. Her rules for survival, often repeated like the Ten Commandments, guided Erikaâs own journey into adulthood. And the most important rule? Throughout her life, Sallie Carol preached the power of a testimonyâwhich often proved useful in talking her way out of a bind with bill collectors.
But where does a motherâs story end and a daughterâs begin? In this brave, illuminating memoir, Erika offers a joint recollection of their lives as they navigate times of poverty and stability, separation and togetherness, illness and remission. Her motherâs uncanny ability to endure Job-like trials and manifest New Testamentâstyle miracles made her seem invincible. But while those who raise us may start out as gods in our lives, through her motherâs final months and fifth battle with cancer, Erika captures the moment you realize that parents are just people.
Weaving together a dual timeline and elements from both scripture and pop culture, Erika explores how the lessons, dreams, and patterns we inherit influence our future, for better and worse. Powerful, moving, and unforgettable, This Is Your Mother is a gorgeously rendered story of a motherâs life through a daughterâs eyes as she navigates through grief to a place of clarity where she can see who she is without her momâand because of her.