The Story My Mother Told Me: review

The Story My Mother Told Me is a novella by Ruth Egan, an online friend of mine. It tells the tale of a daughter, Chani (pronounced like "Cheney," not "tchah-ni," as in the character Chani from Dune), who discovers, at age 28, that her life has been founded on a series of strategic lies. Chani has a fulfilling job as a newspaper editor in Indiana, but goes to Florida for an extended trip when she learns that her mother, Cass, has ovarian cancer. Chani uses this opportunity for closeness to explore her mother's life; she meets her mother's best and oldest friend, and experiences a series of shocking revelations that turn her previously secure and ordered world upside-down.

The story is written in simple, evocative prose; it touches on themes of love, family, sexuality, death, betrayal, and forgiveness. Pacing throughout is brisk and no-nonsense; the action moves forward in a rapid succession of bite-sized chapters. Although the revelations lead us somewhat into fairy-tale territory, Egan never violates our suspension of disbelief by making events ridiculous: nothing in the story is implausible. What Egan does instead is subvert the fairy-tale template, turn it on its head: the protagonist discovers her true pedigree, but the emotional cost of that discovery is painfully high.

I read The Story My Mother Told Me in two quick sittings. The book was hard to put down, partly because a major element of the plot was Chani's mother's cancer, a notion that has personal relevance. The characters in the book are real, very human, and subject to the moral weakness found in all people who make compromises and weather dire crises. If you have the time and the inclination, I highly recommend that you buy a copy of Egan's sweet, touching little novella (available through Amazon) and give it a read.


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