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Deeply emotional and carefully crafted, this poignant memoir explores Mayo's relentless search for the son she relinquished decades ago. However, the book not only navigates the painful years during which society shamed young, unwed mothers but also maps out the author's journey towards selfhood, self-awareness, and healing. The important question, "How do you find someone when you don't know who you are looking for?" centers Mayo's emotional search of a lifetime. Meanwhile, old relationships renew themselves and thrive, and the author reaches a profound realization: "I had moved on, like I always do. I had changed." Nonetheless, despite the loves, the hardships, and the losses, the writer and her son manage to reconnect and begin life anew amid a series of changes brought on by the decline of the author's own aging parents.
Mayo's memoir is a powerful story of one woman's reclamation of her selfhood and her agency. It arrives at a time when women's rights are once again being hotly contested. It exposes how women were historically silenced and forced into secret existences that deeply traumatized them and reshaped their lives forever. Simultaneously, it examines what it means to be a parent, even when society has stripped an individual of that role. The book also contains a deep discussion about what happens when, eventually, a child must step into decision-making roles for their parents. The author's vulnerable conversations about this topic add yet another layer of emotion that is necessary, especially as more and more families take on caretaking roles for their elders in the US. This mother's determination to find her son and to continue growing into the woman she was meant to be is admirable and inspiring. Mayo's memoir is a gripping must-read.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
A 20205 Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalist