Author: Morton, Brian
Binding: Hardcover
Number Of Pages: 208
Release Date: 12-04-2022
Details: Product Description In the spirit of Fierce Attachments, Bettyville, and The End of Your Life Book Club, acclaimed novelist Brian Morton delivers a moving, darkly funny memoir of his mother’s vibrant life and the many ways in which their tight, tumultuous relationship was refashioned in her twilight years.Tasha Morton is a force of nature: a brilliant educator who’s left her mark on generations of students—and also a whirlwind of a mother, intrusive, chaotic, oppressively devoted, and irrepressible. For decades, her son Brian has kept her at a self-protective distance, but when her health begins to fail, he knows it’s time to assume responsibility for her care. Even so, he’s not prepared for what awaits him, as her refusal to accept her own fragility leads to a series of epic outbursts and altercations that are sometimes frightening, sometimes wildly comic, and sometimes both. Clear-eyed, loving, and brimming with dark humor, Tasha is an exploration of what sons learn from their mothers, a stark look at the impossible task of caring for an elderly parent in a country whose unofficial motto is “you’re on your own,” and a meditation on the treacherous business at the heart of every family—the business of trying to honor ourselves without forsaking our parents, and our parents without forsaking ourselves. Above all, Tasha is a vivid and surprising portrait of an unforgettable woman. Review "Unstinting yet tender… a tour de force... Part gut-punch comedy, part eulogy, this tribute is dazzling” —Publishers Weekly *starred review* "One of the truest, most insightful mother-child memoirs I have ever read.”—Vivian Gornick, author of Fierce Attachments "This profoundly moving memoir is both an absolute delight and a punch to the gut: Brian Morton writes without flinching about his often exasperating mother, his own considerable failings, and the impossible demands of balancing safety and independence, love and anger, guilt and grief. I urge you to read this astonishing work: part family comedy, part prayer for the dead, and wholly unforgettable —like Tasha herself." —Will Schwalbe, author of The End of Your Life Book Club “A memoir that asks not what but how we remember, Tasha is gut-wrenchingly funny, elegiac, and brimming with Morton’s singular style and wisdom. Beyond the exquisite rendering of a larger-than-life mother is the story of a family, of sacrifice and forgiveness, and the myths we build about—and for—the people we most revere. Every page reads like a conversation with a close friend.” —T. Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls “A searing and tender memoir, written with candor, warmth, and heartbreaking grace.” —Betsy Lerner, author of The Bridge Ladies "Yes, Tasha is an indelibly memorable character, but what makes the book really soar is the combination of her plus the author's truthful self-portrait: the two are locked in a pas de deux, for better or worse, that epitomizes the impossible-to-satisfy love of mother and child." —Phillip Lopate "Brian Morton is a wonderful novelist, so it’s not surprising that Tasha, his memoir about his stubborn, charming, exasperating mother, is moving, funny, and most of all honest—about old age, about mothers and sons, about what we owe our loved ones and ourselves. It’s a profound, riveting book.” —Joshua Henkin, author of Morningside Heights "I read Tasha in a single sitting, laughing through my tears. With surprising humor and affection, Brian Morton shows that when it comes to mothers and sons, cruelty and love often go hand in hand. Every parent of a child and every child of a parent should read this book." —Susan Cheever, author of Drinking in America "Brian Morton's unflinching account of his mother's final years should only be read in the privacy of your home, unless you're fully comfortable sobbing in public. If you've cared for—or coped with—an aging parent, you will see yourself on every page of this book and you'll close it fee
EAN: 9781982178932
Package Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
Languages: English