TLDR: If you’re a fan of family sagas with strong, imperfect women and stories that dig into the messiness of real relationships, Like Mother, Like Mother is a good one. Dysfunctional families are always a captivating read for me.
Give me a multi-generational family saga with powerful, messy, imperfect women, and I’m all in. Like Mother, Like Mother is exactly that—raw, dysfunctional, and so incredibly real. Susan Rieger creates a story that dives into the complexities of family relationships, especially the bonds (and tensions) between mothers and daughters. It’s unflinching, emotional, and a little chaotic in all the best ways.

The women in this book? They’re flawed, ambitious, and sometimes hard to like, but that’s what makes them so compelling. The narrative explores how their choices ripple through generations, shaping not just their own lives but those of the daughters who follow. It’s filled with power struggles, secrets, and moments of vulnerability that hit hard.

I also loved the way Rieger captures the nuance of familial love—how it can be both suffocating and liberating, supportive yet fraught with tension. That kind of complexity feels so authentic, and it kept me hooked from the beginning.

If I had one critique, it’s that a few parts felt a bit rushed. I would’ve loved even more time to sit with certain characters or moments, but honestly, that’s just because I didn’t want the book to end. My November 2024 Aardvark book of the month pick!