When George Hodgman leaves Manhattan for his hometown of Paris, Missouri, he finds himself—an unlikely caretaker and near-lethal cook—in a head-on collision with his aging mother, Betty, a woman of wit and will. Will George lure her into assisted living? When hell freezes over. He can’t bring himself to force her from the home both treasure—the place where his father’s voice lingers, the scene of … of shared jokes, skirmishes, and, behind the dusty antiques, a rarely acknowledged conflict: Betty, who speaks her mind but cannot quite reveal her heart, has never really accepted the fact that her son is gay.
As these two unforgettable characters try to bring their different worlds together, Hodgman reveals the challenges of Betty’s life and his own struggle for self-respect, moving readers from their small town—crumbling but still colorful—to the star-studded corridors of Vanity Fair. Evocative of The End of Your Life Book Club and The Tender Bar, Hodgman’s New York Times bestselling debut is both an indelible portrait of a family and an exquisitely told tale of a prodigal son’s return.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD
“A beautifully crafted memoir, rich with humor and wisdom.” —Will Schwalbe, author of The End of Your Life Book Club
“The idea of a cultured gay man leaving New York City to care for his aging mother in Paris, Missouri, is already funny, and George Hodgman reaps that humor with great charm. But then he plunges deep, examining the warm yet fraught relationship between mother and son with profound insight and understanding.” —Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home
From the Hardcover edition.
more
Went into this one not knowing what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised. A very interesting life story told in a very honest and humorous way, I found myself totally absorbed. The struggles of growing up gay in a rural and unaccepting environment are something that I can’t personally relate to, but we all have times in our lives where the feelings he describes in situations are very relatable. The most endearing parts of the story come through his love-hate struggles with his feisty 90 year old mother, Betty. Her antics at times heartbreaking, but more often good for some big smiles and giggles. A great story about a very special relationship.
Having been a caregiver for my Mom until her death at 98 I share many of the experiences of this author though his story is in a very different geographical place. I have a large family. He did not. It is an honest book with equal measures of humor, sadness, empathy and kindness. I loved it.
Wonderful book and beautifully written……such honesty I hope will help many parents who have a gay child……love them as you would all your children or maybe even more so that they have the skills and esteem to live in a world full of cruel people…..I love this book…thank you George Hodgman and you should be very proud of how you loved and cared for your parents. I hope the rest of your life is full of love and joy…you sure gave me joy reading your words.
Great memoir of a gay son who comes home to help his failing 93 yr old mother. He remenisces of his boyhood and what is now his mother’S life.
Very slow.
Loved this book.
Not well written yet entertaining in parts
In a way heartbreaking but shows how strong family ties are
Enjoyed this sweet book. Peeking into the dear life of Betty and
her loving son was more than entertaining, it was also
enlightening.
Wonderful and original. Author’s sense of humor in stressful times is refreshing. The book gains momentum and the characters become more endearing as the pages turn. Would recommend to all and what I thought might be depressing turned out to be anything but.
Somehow this writer has managed to make a book about his mother’s dementia very truthful and at the same time very funny – in an endearing way. Special book and good reading.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
This was sort of a hard read, having been through similar circumstances with my mother and dementia. I had to put it down, then bring it back a few times. There were funny nuances, but I felt that the text dragged on a bit. I kept going back to it, in between reads that I couldn’t put down. I adore the way George loved his mother, and truly appreciate his thoughtful memoir about himself…. and his mom.
This is a memoir by a sophisticated NYC gay man that returns home in Missouri to care for his elderly mother. Rich with humor and wisdom. You will love it.
Great book about the realities of dealing with advancing dementia. A humorous approach mixed with pathos. The author, Betty’s son, also addresses growing up gay in a small town setting.
Boring.
Reality is so much endearing than fiction could ever be. This memoir is of an urban gay man returning to his small hometown to care for his mother who is suffering from dementia. Touching and poignant yet still very funny.
Wonderful read about these characters and their real-life struggles with dementia, homosexuality, and homophobia. Wishing the South and people from all over had changed by now and are accepting of everyone.
This is an honest memoir about an aging mother and her gay son. His life style which is fairly well explained had never been recognised by either of his parents. Now years later as the author assists his mother with her deteriorating health and increasing dementia he reflects on all the missed opportunities his parents had to recognize and accept his life style.
Beautifully written with the author’s love, wit, patience and occasional exasperation .
Great. Will read again.