Mother Load:: Memoirs of Struggle and Strength - Paperback

by Brenda M. Doyle (Author), Jennifer Walcott (Author), Ellen O'Donnell Walters (Author)

Mother Load is a collection of memoir, inner monologue, poetry, and short story which let readers in on some of the realities of mothering from the 1940s to the early 2000's. This kaleidoscope of courageous, sometimes raw, sometimes loving, narratives bring to the surface the tensions that haunt mothering relationships across generations. The pieces paint pictures of mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, and friends. Grief, anger, and loss are here as well as insights, perspective, and gratitude. Moreover, the silence in these relationships has been highlighted: what was assumed, what was unquestioned or undiscussable, what was too shameful or painful to be put into words. The women whose work is collected here differ from one another in a myriad of ways: family history and geographical location, class and racial identity, and education. But the unity among them lies in their commitment to reflection and to the desire to go closer to their own histories and those of their families, and to express the truths of their lives and their experiences. In telling these stories lies hope for better.

Author Biography

Brenda M. Doyle has lived a succession of lives: nursing student, religious sister, teacher, child care worker, psychotherapist, mother and grandmother, psychologist, world traveller, and now, a fledgling writer. Her book The Therafields Psychotherapy Community: Promise, Betrayal, and Demise, is available at Amazon and at Indigo. Jennifer Walcott, a retired teacher of English in Toronto, started writing poetry as a child in Jamaica and has maintained her love of writing since then. Her verses are published in Calling Cards: New Poetry from Caribbean/Canadian Women, Your Daily Poem.com, Calabash, The Antigonish Review, as well as in two chapbooks, Poems from Ocean Wilderness edited by Patrick Lane. Ellen O'Donnell Walters is an award-winning adult educator and school administrator, now retired. Her career focused on establishing province-wide mentoring support for educational leaders, and promoting group facilitation skills. Professional writing projects have been replaced by creative non-fiction, written to illuminate the family saga for her husband, children, and granddaughter. Kathy Honickman is a retired teacher who has written and directed many children's plays, and produced a weekly newspaper column called, "Parenting," a working mom's experiences. In addition to participating in various memoir groups, Kathy's greatest passion is to spend time with her family in "Spa-Baba." Nancy Garrow came to writing late in life after pondering the memories of almost seven decades of living, including many triumphs and traumas. Now with a grown family and six grandchildren and the time to enjoy retirement, she finds satisfaction and healing in sharing her stories. Melanie Faye, mother, grandmother, and retired psychotherapist, born and educated in South Africa, emigrated to Canada to give her children a better life untainted by Apartheid. In her writing, she shares her love of myths, gods, and goddesses, fairy tales, and the psychology of self and spirit.