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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Mother Material by Doretta Warnock begins at the dawn of the 20th century. Emily’s troubled childhood is worsened when her alcoholic father’s behavior disrupts the family. After he leaves, Emily faces poverty, desperate to make ends meet. Emily is sent to live with Mrs. Baker, where she wins a baking contest, but soon returns to her father after being taken by a truant officer. Life with her father becomes even more difficult, and Emily is arrested for theft and another charge, leading to her being sent to a convent for reform. While there, she learns sewing and, after years of hardship, starts working in a garment factory. After her father’s death, Emily moves in with her Aunt Annie, begins working as a telephone operator, and starts dating, but her journey is marked by continued hardship and the search for a better life, for both her and the family she starts herself.
Doretta Warnock’s Mother Material looks into the cyclical nature of personal austerity and the pursuit of self-identity when all the cards are stacked against Emily. As difficult as it was, Emily’s upbringing is heartbreakingly well-written and Warnock does an especially good job of building Emily's transition into married life and motherhood during the Great Depression. The ultimate picture of Emily’s relationship with her daughter, Laura, has the full circle feeling about the portrayal of Emily’s own relationship with an emotionally distant mother. Though the story touches on some incredibly difficult leitmotifs, whether it is financial hardship or threadbare hope, it is also filled with moments of love and resilience. All the characters are deeply human, and the result is a thoughtful portrayal of family, sacrifice, and the complexity of maternal love. Very highly recommended.
