A Letter to My Mom

by Lisa Erspamer

Overview

Including letters from Melissa Rivers, Shania Twain, will.i.am, Christy Turlington, and Kristin Chenoweth 

Just in time for Mother's Day, the next book in the A Letter to My series (after A Letter to My Dog and A Letter to My Cat) takes on mothers, with celebrities and civilians writing letters of gratitude and admiration to the women who raised them, alongside gorgeous, intimate photos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804139670
Publisher:	Crown/Archetype
Publication date:	04/07/2015
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Lisa Erspamer is president of Lisa Erspamer Entertainment and Unleashed Media. Previously, Lisa served as chief creative officer and executive vice president of programming and development for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as co-executive producer at The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she produced hundreds of shows. The creator and coauthor of A Letter to My Dog and A Letter to My Cat, Lisa lives with her dogs Lily and Grace in Los Angeles.

Editorial Reviews

2014-12-21
A collection for readers who admire or can relate to those who wholly revere their selfless, sainted mothers.A note that Erspamer (A Letter to My Cat: Notes to Our Best Friends, 2014, etc.), the former executive vice president of programming and development for the Oprah Winfrey Network, wrote to her mother sets the tone for this carefully curated assortment of letters intended to inspire and entertain. The contributors—distinguished and prominent people in their fields—all turned out well-adjusted and happy (neurotics need not apply). Unfortunately, the author includes no insolent voice or anyone who had a more complicated or disappointing relationship with his or her mother. Worse, much of the writing is mawkish or just plain bad: "Though your grip was weakening that night in the hospital, your hands demonstrated an incredible work ethic"; "Thank you for being the most AMAZING Grandmama in the whole world!" Singer Josh Groban's letter is atypical, self-deprecating and comic ("I was odd, I was hyper and sometimes I spoke in my native Martian tongue") in its expression of gratitude for his mother's forbearance. Actress Mariel Hemingway (of the legendarily dysfunctional Hemingway clan) is a welcome tonic, offering a unique sentiment in this book full of repetitive romanticism as she expresses sorrow for her depressive, alcoholic mother's sadness with honesty and comfort: "You had too much invested in the hurt, which became your life." Most readers likely have a more balanced, and perhaps unpleasant, view of their mothers; this is a warm bath of a book that, for some readers, will inspire rueful and sardonic laughter. Other contributors include Kristin Chenoweth, will.i.am, Cat Cora, Monica Lewinsky, Dr. Phil McGraw, Suze Orman, Kelly Osbourne and Shania Twain. The sap flows heavily in this book about mothers who are heroes, role models, guardian angels and superwomen.

Kirkus Reviews