Mothers and Strangers

“It is striking to observe, again and again, how the unique character of any mother reverberates, in ways small and large, in the lives of her children. . . . There can never be too many mother essays in the world for me.”—Chapter 16

“Readers will remember and discover throughout this collection. They will recall stories told and retold in their family’s legacy and possibly trip over ones that have deliberately been left unmentioned. Readers will marvel at the beauty of their hearts first and forever cry: 'Mama.'”—All About Women Magazine

“A great collection of essays on mothers by your favorite Southern writers.”—“Livin Upstate”

“Is there literary territory more vast than motherhood? This collection of essays, edited by Samia Serageldin and Lee Smith, delivers such varied portraits within its broad scope.”—Chapel Hill Magazine

“The essays and pieces in this book were so fascinating and the voices were so vibrant. Stories about growing up, changing relationships with mothers, becoming a mother, and everything in between.”—Book Riot

“Samia Serageldin and Lee Smith have curated a diverse and thoughtful collection that challenges stereotypes about mothers and expands our notions of motherhood in the South.”—Augusta Chronicle

“[The essays] are readers' treasures. Short, written crisply by some of the region’s best authors, each one gives an inside look at the writer’s private life and how the mother faced and dealt with different sets of challenges, ones that have, for better or worse, helped make the writings of each author what they are today.”—D.G. Martin, One on One

“Mothers and Strangers is a rare thing: a book of intelligence, heartbreak, humor, and grace all in one. If you did or do have a mother, this collection of thoughtful, well-told essays is for you.”—Therese Anne Fowler, author of Z and A Well-Behaved Woman

“By turns touching, wistful, irreverent, and deeply, hilariously wicked, this book—featuring some of my favorite writers — earns its title. It left me—and I expect it will leave many readers—a ‘little bit homesick,’ in Lee Smith’s words. I’m very glad it fell into my hands.” —David Payne, author of Barefoot to Avalon

“A fascinating and variegated account of the way children construct their mothers in childhood and then have to reconstruct them as adults. Mothers and Strangers is a rumination on the delicate interweaving of our mothers’ extreme familiarity with their ultimate inscrutability, offering a multitude of diverse and compelling perspectives.”—Sarah Menkedick, author of Homing Instincts: Early Motherhood on a Midwestern Farm