Books and beyond

Nancy Roeder will be at Standley Lake Library on Thursday, June 21 at 6:00 pm to talk about her book, Going to the Well: A Mother-Daughter Journey. Nancy’s presentation will appeal to anyone who is interested in women’s live, family relationships, history, and memoir writing.

 

How does a daughter get to know and understand her mother? The closest bond of any two women is that of mother-daughter. Yet, this relationship often suffers over time from misunderstandings, anger and resentment. Searching for a way to reconcile past mother-daughter wounds, Nancy Roeder and her mother launched a series of taped interviews that extended over 16 years. 

 

In her mother’s voice are vivid recollections of rural life in the early 1900’s, of a family saga filled with sadness and shame, poverty and fear-based religion. As her mother recounts her efforts to overcome her past, she offers insights into steps she took toward mental and spiritual health.

 

Going to the Well: A Mother-Daughter Journey is a powerful and moving double-memoir, unfolding as a journey of hope for those who have experienced shattered relationship, offering a path to redemption. 

 

Nancy answers some of our questions about her book.

 

JCPL: You call Going to the Well: A Mother-Daughter Journey a “double memoir.” Why did you choose that format for your book?

NR: The format really chose me. All along, I planned for the book to be told in my mother’s voice as it came through in the taped interviews. But when I started framing and then writing the story, I realized that it was my journey, too, toward a new relationship with my mother. So, the book evolved into my memoir folded into hers.

 

JCPL: Who is the intended audience for your book?

NR: Anyone who is interested in parent-child relationships. Early on, I envisioned that mature women would be the target audience. I have been surprised and pleased that men seem to like it, also, as do younger women who are daughters.

 

JCPL: What are some of the responses you’ve had from readers?

NR: I have been humbled and pleased by the favorable response to the book. Some have expressed admiration for its universal story of overcoming adversity. Others have expressed a wish that they had interviewed one or both of their parents to gain an in-depth understanding of their struggles and triumphs. Still others call it a “page turner,” while some have told me they enjoyed my personal reflections on incidents and events.

 

JCPL: Are you writing, or planning to write, another book? If so, what topic?

NR: I hope to write another book. I want to tell the story of my relationship with my charming but narcissistic and religiously addicted father. I’m also launching another interview project – this time with a friend who grew up with a mother with multiple personalities.