The Leopard Hat: A Daughter's Story

I was throwing my garbage out when I found this book. Its not really the type of book that I like to read. It is an excellent acoount of a young girl's growing into womanhood and her friendships, travels and relationship to family. very well wrtten and the pace is perfectly set. I recommend.

When I first started reading Valerie Steiker's prose, I had to look up from this book and come up for air. It is verbally concentrated and heavy, like a Bavarian Creme -- if only we had some photos to look at -- after all, Valerie is sitting us down and telling us the story of her life, her mother, her family. We're trying to look at Valerie's family album -- and there's nothing there. It would have been great to see Valerie and her sister standing with their Chi-Chi mother Gisele, at various stages of their lives, and at special holidays. But about one-third of the way through this book, a familiar chord was struck in my soul -- here I was, walking down 5th Avenue in the 1950's, with my equally Chi-Chi Mom Sylvia, who when young escaped from Mussolini's Italy with her mother and siblings, with just the clothes on their backs. Like Valerie's Gisele, my Mom Sylvia was also a living testament to the special aura of European elegance, thus The Leopard Hat was even more special to me because of this. And like Gisele, Mom Sylvia died before her time. A special thread of love runs through this book. I still wish it had photos, but like a Bavarian Creme, I could not walk away from it, and I felt honored for such a special glimpse into this very special family. And I truly think that if Mom Sylvia and Gisele had ever a chance to meet back then there would have been an instantaneous recognition of kindred souls.

In recent months I've been reading books where authors reflect on life with their parents. Books like Tender at the Bone which described the young Ruth Reichl's flamboyant and at times odd mother. Or Stuffed by Patricia Volk which told the story of a family restaurant owend by the author's father. And of course we could add Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck or All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg. Now I have just finished a recent addition to this category. The title is The Leopard Hat: A Dauhgter's Story and is the author's loving tribute to and portrait of her mother, Giselle.Giiselle born in Europe personifies grace and elegance. She survived the war by hiding out with her mother and then lived in several European cities before settling in New York City. She meets and marries a very wealthy investment banker and move into k they have a large apartment on fashionable Madison Avenue. In time two daughters would complete their family. First Valerie arrives and then her younger sister. The author reflects on this grand lady by giving us a glimpse of her life. Shopping hairdresser appointments, charitable functions, her home and her children fill her days, The author describes Giselle's home with its beautiful objects and her wonderful designer clothes. She also explains about her mother's love for art and music and how she influences her daughters to open their eyes to world around them. And throughout the book we find out more about Giselle's time spent in Europe as a child, which is so different from her life now. We are witness to Valerie's rebellious teen-age years and her mother, so used to her two daughters being her best friends, had to let go to keep her child. And then very lovingly and poignantly does Ms. Steiker describe her mother's death from cancer when Valerie is in college.I enjoyed this book. I did feel at times that the emphasis on the families wealth was a bit much. I preferred the parts where Giselle spends time with her daughters reminiscing about her youthful experiences and she listens to her daughters. This is a touching and warm book. In the end one wishes they could have known this woman who personified a life filled with flair, style and a determined spirit.

Valerie Steiker paints a loving, three-dimensional and ultimately human portrait of her mother, Gisèle, in this honest, eloquent memoir. Whether describing something as concrete as a beloved article of clothing or recapturing something as abstract as a fleeting flicker of emotion, Valerie draws on her thoughtful attention to detail and admirable ability to recall, interpret and depict it, to mesmerizing effect, transporting the reader to that moment.