My sister lent me The Jewish Daughter Diaries, not because we are Jewish, but because my mother so closely resembles the women in these essays. My mother was raised Roman Catholic by Polish-American parents, there is a lot of overlap in the parenting styles of RC Poles and Jewish mothers. Mostly guilt as a second language and a biological need to feed those who enter her house. And while my mother never meddled in my love life she has volunteered to call/ pay a visit to companies that have wronged me or irritated me as recently as last week.
Various comediennes come together to write love letter essays to the women who raised them and the result is a sweet, although a bit bland, anthology. There isn’t anything groundbreaking revealed, unless you were unaware that most Jewish moms hope to become Jewish grandmothers one day, but it’s an enjoyable read nonetheless.
If you have an overly involved mother (Jewish or not) you will appreciate these sentimental stories, but if you were looking for snarky commentary about one’s adolescence this is not the collection for you.