"Dear Mom" by Melody Carlson

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Summary:
Every mom knows how communicating with a teenage girl can be difficult, even impossible at times. One-word answers. Defensive conversations. Daily arguments. How typical for teens to put up such barriers. All the while, moms truly long to know what their daughters really think.

Best-selling author Melody Carlson, whose books for women, teens, and children have sold more than three million copies, bridges this chasm with trusted insight. She speaks frankly in the voice of the teen daughters she’s written for and she tells it like it is: struggles with identity, guys, friendship, and even parents—it’s all here. The straight-talk to moms covers such things as “I need you, but you can’t make me admit it,” “I’m not as confident as I appear,” and “I have friends. I need a mother.”

Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom looks at a young woman’s heart and reveals to moms:

· how to talk to teens so they hear,

· how to connect despite the differences of perspective or years and experiences,

· and how strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.

The lively chapters in Dear Mom can be dipped into topically or used as a read-through tool by moms and daughters alike to understand what motivates or deflates, troubles or inspires—and just in time for Mother’s Day and all the Mother’s Days ahead.

Author Bio:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than three million copies. Beloved for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and Notes from a Spinning Planet series, she’s also the author of the women’s novels Finding Alice (in production now for a Lifetime-TV movie), Crystal Lies, On This Day, These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking, and A Mile in My Flip-Flops. A mother of two grown sons, Melody lives in central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. She’s a full-time writer and an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.


What I have to say

Dear Mom, by Melody Carlson, is the perfect read for any mom who has moments of struggle or absolute frustration in her relationship with her teenage daughter. While I was never the stereotypical teenager I do think that any mom can find at least something to take from this book and strengthen her relationship with her daughter.
Carlson might have her teenage self stuck in her body, and for your benefit! Through this book she opens the door to a teenager’s mind to the mother. Mom, if you read this book you will know what your daughter is thinking, how she does NOT want you to respond, and ways that will be useful in responding. Written as a letter from daughter to mother Carlson never loses the voice of a stereotypical teenager, even going so far at the beginning of the book to plead with mom to put this book down and not read it because it will not help, and mom’s too busy anyway. So if you two got into a fight because she wants to go to the movies on Sunday but you want her home with you to spend time on Mother’s day, go get this book!

This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group