Quotes and Endorsements About Mothering Mother

"Her story [Mothering Mother] of that time is honest, poignant, even heart wrenching, and often, unexpectedly comic. To say that we were impressed with both her fortitude and her ability to write her story in real time is an understatement. Indeed, Carol is one of the more impressive women with whom I've had the pleasure of working in Zona Rosa, and I can't recommend her or her work too highly."

Rosemary Daniell,
Author, Speaker, Writing Coach,
Recipient of two National
Endowmentsfor the Arts grants
Director of Zona Rosa Writers

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"Mothering Mother documents the daily love, doubts, ambivalence, guilt, grief, and small triumphs that accompany Carol on her almost three-year journey. Those of us in the Baby-boomer generation will resonate with the emotional roller coaster that many of us have or are currently experiencing, or fear having to face with our own aging parents. Mother is a gauge by which we can measure the strength of our own inner resources as we search for the best option in caring for our elders in their last years."

Barry K. Baines, MD.
Associate Medical Director,
Hospice Director for the Twin Cities,
Author of Ethical Wills:
Putting your Values on Paper
Perseus Publishing, 2002

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"So many of the experiences she [Carol] and her mother shared in Mothering Mother reflect the caregivingand role reversals and were so real, I had flashbacks. I laughed, I smiled and shuddered reading this book. Her approach, sense of humor and ability to tell the whole truth will make you love it too. O’Dell has captured the essence of every Baby Boomer’s struggle to parent our parents.”

Judy H. Wright,
Missoula Demonstration Project
Author of over 20 books,
Personal and oral historian,
International speaker and trainer

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"Carol O'Dell is my new hero. . . . Told in vignettes instead of a linear fashion, O'Dell tells in brutal honesty the horrors and pleasures of exactly what one shoulders when saying, 'Come live with us; I'll take care of you.'"

Armchair Interviews,
Casa Publishing

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Carol O’Dell is a wonderful storyteller, both in her written work and in engaging personal presentations.  Through stories, we all gain insight and perspective, and I think Carol’s story and her ability to tell it in an engaging, humorous way, make it a must read for any caregiver (past, present, future, family, neighbor or professional).  As a professional geriatric care manager, educator, and writer, I have recommended her book to many colleagues and families.  I know we will all get different things from it, but I have no doubt we will all gain something valuable.

Shannon Martin, MSW
Director of Community Relations
Aging Wisely
727-447-5845/813-249-6507
www.agingwisely.co