Author: Rosalie Fuscaldo Gaziano

 ISBN: 1-930754-73-6

The following review was contributed by: Kathryn Atwood Click Here To View More Of Kathryn's Reviews

            When I learned that Ms. Gaziano had been awarded “National Mother of the Year 2002” by National Mothers, Inc., in part because she had raised five incredibly successful sons, I thought her book, “Mother’s Speak . . . For Love of Family,” might a brag rag or a “how-to” book. It wasn’t.  When I learned that she was somewhat religious,, I thought the book might preach.  It didn’t.  While reading through it, I often thought the book was about to descend into the saccharine.  It never quite did.  In fact, reading this book tore down every preconception I had: it is simply one of the most inspirational, down-to-earth books on the subject of mothering and family that I have ever read.

            This is no “how-to” book but a montage of personal stories culled from Gaziano’s year of speaking with mothers across America, her own personal experiences and those of her friends and acquaintances.  Divided into seven chapters including “Love is a Choice,” “Keeping the Balance in the Day to Day,” “Crisis, Forgiveness, and Change,” Gaziano deals with some solid issues.  For instance, should mothers of young children work outside of the home?  You would think that a book celebrating motherhood and family would give a firm and resounding no, but Gaziano never provides cut and dried rules or even suggestions: she simply tells how others worked it out.  She herself, busy with five little boys and yearning to write professionally didn’t simply stop writing but found a way to work it around her busy schedule.

            In the chapter entitled “Rituals and Rites That Bind,” she not only describes her Italian-American son’s wedding to a Bavarian bride, but also how her own (Christian) faith was renewed by attending the Bat Mitzvah of a friend’s daughter.  Gaziano writes: “this was the faith of the Jewish people, but it was a rite of passage befitting us all . . . all of us can rejoice as others give witness to their own heritage.”  She also quotes the Koran: this is not a book about a single religion but about what all families share, regardless of their religious beliefs.

            “Crisis, Forgiveness, and Creative Change” was a particularly inspirational chapter.  Here, Gaziano tells some very serious stories: women, overextended, divorced, and/or severely ill, overcoming deep personal crises.  This chapter is a testament to will power, love, and a willingness to change.

            Interspersed throughout the book are two things that tie everything together: artwork celebrating motherhood and Gaziano’s gentle, wise narrative.  Reading this book is like having a reassuring talk with an older, experienced mother who makes you feel that however daunting the task of motherhood may be, love of family will always triumph.