From Where I Stand - by Caroline Goldberg Igra (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Burdened by a troubled history with her mother, Elizabeth struggles to raise her own teenage daughter differently. She wants to celebrate when Belle receives a fabulous opportunity miles away in New York City, but is concerned that this move will prolong the estrangement between them. Even worse, it would entail Belle being raised by her grandmother-the person from whom Elizabeth has purposefully distanced herself.

Belle is certain that everything will be better once she gets to the big city, and Grandmother Lillian intends to vicariously enjoy Belle's success. Left back home, Elizabeth focuses her energy on a young girl who has been removed from her home by social services and, unlike Belle, wants nothing more than to be mothered.

While the individual journeys of these women lead them back to one another, the sudden disclosure of a long-buried secret threatens to keep them apart forever.

Caroline Goldberg Igra's From Where I Stand explores the challenge of being a mother, the frustration of being a daughter, and the heart-wrenching complexity of being both.

Review Quotes

"Igra's fabulous novel puts three extraordinary women, at three extraordinary ages, all at a crossroads in their lives. What do we owe the ones we love? And at what cost to ourselves? Beautifully told and unforgettable."-Caroline Leavitt, New York Times Best-Selling Author of Pictures of You and With or Without You

"Turning her keen eye to the ever-complex subject of mothers and daughters, Caroline Goldberg Igra weaves a moving tale of three generations of women navigating a lifelong maze of misunderstandings and misplaced expectations, but also of fiercely loyal love. This insightful exploration of intimacy and distance, old habits and new surprises, is a novel to savor-and then to share."-Robin Black, Author of Life Drawing

"Caroline Goldberg Igra's compelling novel From Where I Stand grapples with the liminal journeys and complicated history of three generations of unforgettable women. This moving story about love, secrets, regrets, and finding the strength and capacity for change will get under your skin. A perfect novel to share and discuss."-Sarah Aronson, Award-Winning Author of Just Like Rube Goldberg

"In From Where I Stand, Igra takes the reader on an emotional, multigenerational journey. Her depiction of the fraught nature of the mother-daughter relationship is poignant, relatable, and ultimately uplifting. A wonderful read for women of all ages."-Leah Scheier, Author of The Last Words We Said