“Devilishly sharp… a masterful balance of psychological excavation and sumptuous description.”—Kirkus ReviewsAn only child, Deborah Burns grew up in prim 1950s America in the shadow of her beautiful, unconventional, rule-breaking mother, Dorothy—a red-haired beauty who looked like Rita Hayworth and skirted norms with a style and flair that made her the darling of men and women alike. Married to … men and women alike. Married to the son of a renowned Italian family with ties to the underworld, Dorothy fervently eschewed motherhood and domesticity, turning Deborah over to her spinster aunts to raise while she was the star of a vibrant social life. As a child, Deborah revered her charismatic mother, but Dorothy was a woman full of secrets with a troubled past—a mistress of illusion whose love seemed just out of her daughter’s grasp.
In vivid, lyrical prose, Saturday’s Child tells the story of Deborah’s eccentric upbringing and her quest in midlife, long after her parents’ death, to uncover the truth about her mother and their complex relationship. No longer under the spell of her maternal goddess, but still caught in a wrenching cycle of love and longing, Deborah must finally confront the reality of her mother’s legacy—and finally claim her own.
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“Saturday’s Child” by Deborah Burns is a beautifully written memoir of a mother-daughter relationship, and a child’s longing for the attention and love of her mother. Ms. Burns shares thoughts and feelings from her childhood that shows her vulnerability and innocence. Her childhood comes to life through her incredible writing which allows the reader to feel the author’s emotions and connect deeply with her.
This memoir chronicles the life of the author and her mother, from early childhood on, sharing the intimate hopes and desires of a child yearning for the love of her mother. From summers in a hotel resort, crammed living quarters, secrets and dreams left unfulfilled, this book is full of rich stories. I think most people can find part of themselves in this story because the author does an amazing job of sharing the vulnerability she felt as a child wanting to be worthy of being loved by her mother.
Ms. Burns finds meaning in her life experiences as she connects the dots with the help of therapy, family, astrology and her own introspection. The author embraces her experiences, good and bad to create a fulfilling and meaningful life for herself. She also acquires a nickname when she starts working, the velvet hammer, which holds meaning for her throughout her life. She sets a powerful example for all that we can use the life story we were given and create what we want with it.
I was absolutely inspired by this book. I can’t say enough about the incredible writing by Ms. Burns. This memoir reads like a novel, captivating the reader from the onset. This is a book you won’t want to put down once you start. I highly recommend it for anyone, but particularly those who want to learn about their own relationship with their mother through this author’s beautiful and raw story. “Saturday’s Child” by Deborah Burns has been a true gift for me as I never expected to have my heart and mind opened so fully by reading this book. Thank you, Ms. Burns, for sharing a piece of your heart. I am forever changed by reading this book.
A loving memoir about a daughter who adores her unconventional mother. Deborah reveals the layers of the complex relationship she had with her larger than life mother, Dorothy. Growing up in the shadow of her glamorous mother ultimately nutured Deborah with the confidence to blossom into a successful woman of her own right.
This poetic memoir is a beautiful tribute to the author’s magnetic and unconventional mother. The author honors her mother’s life and incredible spirit through the most generous of viewpoints. I am in awe of her gorgeous prose and ability to craft a compulsively readable story. Don’t miss this one!
Interesting story of the relationship of a very successful woman and her mother.
This book is a peek into a somewhat dysfunctional family but eventually revealing the deep and inner love that permeated this close knit clan
I loved Deborah Burns’s thoughtful exploration of the complex terrain of her relationship with her stunning, mysterious mother. Burns also shows the heartbreaking aspirations of both her parents. As she grows into herself, she faces their demise — and then experiences both the exhilaration and the psychological burden of being more successful than they were, i.e., more effectual out in the world. Saturday’s Child is insightful and compassionate, as well as being highly entertaining and beautifully written. I wholeheartedly recommend this absorbing read.
This memoir really touched me with its theme of the ties between mothers and daughters the stretch forward and backward for generations. I listened to the audio narrated by the author which was really powerful. As an only daughter, I related to this story in a number of ways and it’s beautiful unfolding brought me in. It is a personal story yet universal and timeless.
Book Review:
Saturday’s Child: A Daughter’s Memoir by Deborah Burns
The quest for belonging with a vivid look into the world of a brutally honest relationship between Mother and Daughter will have you captured.
Deborah Burns has created an illuminating and alluring look into what was her life was as a young girl, growing up in the 1950s, while in the shadows of a narcissistic mother. It’s painful, insightful and personal. It’s an emotionally charged story without contempt and one of breaking free and reaching for reconciliation and peace.
A brutally honest debut that will leave you cheering for Deborah’s strength and ownership of her struggles, and journey into womanhood.
I thank Deborah Burns for my personal, signed copy, of this story as it has allowed me to see more clearly, the dynamic of Mother and Daughter-that is not always what we believe it too be, from the outside looking in.
4 Stars
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Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Saturday’s Child” by Deborah Burns, She Writes Press, April 9, 2019
Deborah Burns has written a unique and intriguing Memoir,”Saturday’s Child” “A Daughter’s Memoir” The author describes her life in the 1950’s and especially her complex, complicated and atypical relationship with her Mother, whom she idolized. During those years for Dorothy, her mother broke with the typical rules of tradition. and seemed to beat to the tune of her own drum. Certainly by today’s standards, Deborah’s Memoir reflects a dysfunctional family.
Dorothy preferred working, and left her two sister-in laws to bring up Deborah, and cook and take care of the house. (which was really a small apartment) Deborah looked forward to the time she did get to spend with her mother. During summers away, the author describes the wonderful times that she had, when her mother was around.
Deborah describes her mother as a beautiful woman, who always was the center of attention. One part I found amusing, was when Deborah was at the Beauty Parlor, and saw that her mother’s hair was being dyed red, and was surprised.That reminds me of my Grandma Rosie, who had been married at least three times, and had her hair dyed blond. I had also believed she was a natural blond.
This is a beautifully written and vividly describes the author’s life growing up. This also shows how Deborah Burns reflects on her relationship with her mother, and successfully builds her own life. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy Memoirs.
Deborah Burns has penned a memoir around the incredible character of a beautiful, self-absorbed mother who deserved a bigger life that she was able to achieve in her time, and who fiercely worked to push it to the edge of the envelope as much as she could. This woman (who would make a great, central character in a work of fiction) turns her family into facilitators who obligingly and not always wittingly enable her to be as independent as possible. There are secrets and mixed messages that unfold into understanding only over a lifetime. The story is told through her adoring only-child daughter whose goal in life is to get her love and attention and who lives off the glow of their moments together. This tale of the impact of a character who looms so large and can’t help but always chose herself, is riveting during the daughter’s early childhood, when all she can do is react. It becomes more contemplative through the stages of her life through to the present as she grapples with influences negative and ultimately positive.
A very personal, cathartic story that his highly relatable for anyone who has a dominant yet distant mother, leaving the child to wonder why, and spend the inevitable life’s journey sifting the evidence to achieve resolution and peace.
It was good.
LOVED this book! Exquisitely written, and completely interesting!
Not my cup of tea
Beautifully written and poignant
Saturday’s Child is about a mother who isn’t really able to truly show love to her young daughter. It is a sad tale, beautifully written and poignant. We are witness to the child always the perfectly good girl, the adoring daughter, clearly (from the reader’s point of view) in hopes that she might receive a few crumbs of her mother’s love and affection. I was relieved that her mother was never cruel, just distant and self-absorbed, which in itself felt like a form of abuse, one so subtle that the daughter is never sure if the problem is with her. The book deepens towards the end as the author is profoundly awakened to understand how her devotion to her mother was a survival strategy rather than all-out love and adoration. In the end, the author is able to come around to truly and authentically own the deep love that she had for this fascinating woman she called mother, and in the process, claims her own power and ability to love herself. BTW, the artwork on the book’s cover says it all.
Already wrote one review to share with family. This is very insightful and grows from what we think of our parents and relationships with them when we are children to what we discover (if we are fortunate) when we are older. Kats
This was a thought provoking book about Mother-Daughter relationships. Their relationship was out of the ordinary. Kind of sad. The author seems to have made peace with her narcissistic mother and that is good.
Meh!
Depressing