“I am not there, I did not die”
What happens
if your beloved mother dies? In “Things I want my daughters to know”, written
by Elisabeth Noble, the four daughters have to deal with this hardship.
The
60-year-old mother of four daughters, Barbara, dies due to cancer. She leaves
each of the daughters a letter, in which she gives them advice, comfort and she
also reveals a secret nobody knows. Jennifer, the second-born daughter, additionally
receives a diary. In her diary she describes her experiences as a mother, as a
daughter and as a loving wife. Furthermore, she had written down her thoughts
and feelings after she learned about her illness. Despite their mother’s death,
their own lives go on and they have to face many problems. Lisa, the first-born
child, is afraid of getting married to her boyfriend. 37-year old Jennifer
finds herself in an unhappy marriage. 24-year-old Amanda runs away whenever
problems arise. Fifteen-year-old Hannah reaches puberty without her mother at
her side. Barbara’s second husband Mark, Hannah’s father, has a tough time
looking after his child while dealing with the pain of losing his beloved wife.
Will they all be able to cope with their situations? As time goes on, they
realise that Barbara lives on in their memories.
Although the
story may sound sorrowful, there are also cheerful parts. It shows you the ups
and downs of life, just like in reality. Apart from their own individual
problems, the story shows you the strong bonding of family. In difficult times,
family members will support you, even if you have made stupid mistakes, they
will still love you. This book makes you think about your family, which you
should treasure. The whole story is very emotional. The dialogues between the
characters are very lively and witty. It is a good idea to “create” four
daughters who are in different stages of their lives. Each of them has
different problems, which are partly typical of their age. Therefore, a wide
range of readers can put themselves in the characters’ shoes. There is a great
character development. Each of the main characters matures through coping with
difficulties.
This is an
entertaining and heart-warming story that would appeal to most females, not
only teenagers, but also adults. It is undoubtedly worth reading.
