
When I Married My Mother
A Daughter's Search for What Really Matters - and How She Found It Caring for Mama Jo
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Narrated by:
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Jo Maeder
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By:
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Jo Maeder
A city-loving, single New York DJ braces for disaster when she reluctantly moves to the Bible Belt to care for her estranged, doll-obsessed, hoarder mother. What unfolds in this best-selling memoir is a hilarious, heartbreaking love story that sees eldercare and making peace with the past in a most unexpected way.
"This book is important to every mother and daughter, and to every woman who wants to be one." (Maya Angelou)
©2009, 2014 Jo Maeder (P)2016 Jo MaederListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
“Who knew aging, memory-impaired mothers could surprise their reluctantly dutiful daughters? Jo’s counter-intuitive take on caring for Mama Jo speaks to the resilience in late-life family care relationships. As author and memoirist, Jo delighted participants at Duke’s Alzheimer’s conference by encouraging them to seek fresh, positive, and personal perspectives on caring.” (Lisa P. Gwyhter, MSW, co-author The Alzheimer’s Action Plan: A Family Guide, Director of Duke Aging Center Family Support Program)
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Beautiful story
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humorous & heartrending tale of mother/child/aging
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A must read for grown up children
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Great Mother and Daughter Story
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Now it has become apparent that the mother in this book likely struggled with some type of neurodivergence, perhaps autism, that was never diagnosed, yet profoundly impacted her quality of life and the relationships she had with family and friends. Her daughter never mentions this, but the collecting of so many dolls, being overwhelmed with changes to routine, and her unfiltered language all point to something like this. Her daughter doesn't need a diagnosis for her mom though. She is able to use compassion and personal introspection to understand her. This is a memorable read that I highly recommend.
Engrossing and page turning read
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loved this. sad it's over.
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Loved this book and its author
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We don't get to choose our parents. Often do we hear that people don't get along with their parents, or dread going home, or regret being too busy to see them before they suddenly passed away. Jo Maeder's memoir showed me that despite all the dreading and groaning, previous family separation, or personal differences, something inside us would push us to want to care for our parents in their weakening years. It is a feeling that I can echo with.
The parental love, or moreover the maternal love, is quite an incomparable kind of love. It is unconditionally forgiving and eternally so, more than one might realize until one becomes a parent or until a crisis.
Highly recommend this moving memoir.
Narrator: The author, also the narrator, is a radio presenter by trade. Can't get an author-narrated audiobook much better than that.
Deeply meaningful, loving, courageous, peaceful
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Laugh and Cry
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I didn't think the book could get any better...
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