My Mother/My Self: The Daughter's Search for Identity

In 1989, I had the "opportunity" to be around family more than I had been in my adult years. And it was with the help of this book that I learned to accept my mother, while I still owned every painful emotion that I experienced in her presence.It was after one of those phone calls where if you are a woman you may be familiar. I just couldn't seem to get the connection that I desired from my mother. And I didn't know how to language the problem, so that I am free to live my own life.It was after that telephone call, in 1989, that I bought this book, and have read this book many times since then.The first wonderful experience that I had, as I read this book was the realization that my mother did the best that she knew how to do. That acceptance created a level of peace within myself, because it freed me to stop looking for the perfect mother.You will learn from reading this book, that your mother really is your first mirror. And by reading this book, by facing your first mirror, in a psychic way, you will give yourself, and your mother permission to be separate, lovable, empowered women.This book also is great for helping women to treat one another better. Because although we have more opportunities, women still hold one another back in the worst of ways - many women still believe that our opportunities are limited, and that if a woman is successful, she is taking all the power away from other women.Read this book to love yourself.

This is an excellent book! Really essential for women whom have trouble with their mothers when dealing with anger, fear and other mixed emotions. You will catch yourself reading some of the passages over and over and over again. This book touches your heart and doesn't let go. I have read this book several times and each and every time I do get something different out of it. This is an excellent self-development book and I highly recommend it to everyone...men and women alike.

I've had this book since it first came out, and have read it several times. I read it every couple of years because I have found that I get something different out of it each time. It is the most powerful book on self development I have in my library. Maggie Scarf " Unfinished Bussiness" is the second.If you were to have only one book of this kind in your life, "My Mother, My Self" is the one. Nancy Friday is a thorough researcher and an excellent definer of the complex language of psychology. She is clear & concise for all reading levels from high school on. Reading this book does take time, since her research is so revealing and often heavy. Be prepared for shocking subject matter.This book has served me very well over the years as it will anyone else who reads it.

I wish that I had been told about this book when it was first published - it would have saved a lot of heartache! Before the end of the first page I was able to relate to Nancy Friday's comments and experiences. I must have said "that's me!" a million times. This book is a "must" and should be read by men and women - the insight is quite extraordinary - and it is encouraging (or perhaps depressing!) to know that, basically, we are all the same!