Stepmother - by Marianne Lile (Paperback)

About the Book

For the estimated 14 million stepmothers living in the United States, this memoir provides an honest reflection of the stepmom experience, highlighting both the love and the loneliness that encircles it.

Book Synopsis

Stepmother tells the story of Marianne Lile, who met a man, fell in love, got married, and arrived home from the honeymoon with a new label: stepmom. It was a role she initially embraced--but she quickly discovered she was alone in a difficult situation, with no handbook and no mentor. Here, Lile describes the complexities of the stepmom position, in a family and in the community, and shares her experience wearing a tag that is often misunderstood and weighed down by the numerous myths in society. Candid and poignant, Stepmother is a story of love and like, resentments and exasperation, resignation and hope--and a story, ultimately, of family.

Review Quotes

2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Winner in Motivational
2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Finalist in Self-Help (Non-Fiction)
15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards: Finalist in Self-Help: General
2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards: Winner in Mind & Spirit
2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards: Finalist in Instructional & Insightful Non-Fiction

"1 of 8 Best Books on Parenting in 2016" --Caring.com
"This is a genuine love story that thoughtfully considers all the ways real-world obstacles conspire against a simple romance. A beautiful examination of a family and the sometimes-fragile ligatures that bind its members." --Kirkus Reviews, selected by Indie Editors as a review in the Oct 2016 issues
"As it wends from battling resentment to persevering to redefining the foundations of family, this memoir is an emotionally raw celebration of motherhood and all its forms." --Working Mother, "21 New Books to Fall for This Autumn"
"Stepping into the role of motherhood is the bravest venture of any woman's life -- but taking on the role of stepmother requires even thicker skin . . . Readers will be left with a renewed and redefined understanding of motherhood and a substantially deeper respect for it." --Brit+Co
"...A straight-shooting, no holds barred description of life as a stepmom and I defy anyone not to get drawn in and hooked, not to experience a whole range of emotions. And I defy anyone who isn't from a blended family not to sit up and take note, to start realizing that a stepmom is still a mom, still a big part of a family and, above all, she is a human being who deserves respect." --Readers' Favorite, five stars