Austin Area Reading Circle
Reader's Guide
November 2008
Circling My Mother
Mary Gordon
Short story writer, novelist and memoirist Gordon honors her late mother, Anne. Though she died in 2002, Anne was gradually lost to senile dementia years before, stunting Gordon's grief. Now, she explains, I write about her because I am a writer and it's the only way that I can mourn her. Anne emerges as the progeny of her era.a daughter of working-class Catholic immigrants, a Great Depression survivor plagued by the horror of waste, a stalwart woman who provided for a long succession of family members that couldn't (or sometimes wouldn't) support themselves...
- What do you think about the "circular" way Mary wrote about her mother? Was it effective?
- Mary invokes/discusses/cites the painter Bonnard frequently. Does this "work" in the book for you? Why? Why not? Give an example.
- I found Mary's writing to often be lovely, poetic. Do you agree? Give an example or two of your favorites.
- Mary writes about her mother's job as a legal secretary, and how much her mother loved the job and the sense of place that it gave her. What is your "place"? Who would you be without it?
- Mary had relatives and other adults who taught her a variety of lessons, good and bad. Who played this sort of role (good/bad) in your life? Comment on the inability to mourn or deal with sadness that some people have. Have you experienced this in your own life?
- Mary obviously loved her mother a great deal, yet was able to give an honest portrayal that showed both her mother's strengths and weaknesses, and how these traits affected/impacted Mary's own life, in both helpful and harmful ways. Did this resonate with you—strike a chord of similarity with your own parents? Give examples.
- Comment on the role that the Catholic church and priests played in Mary's mother's life. How did this affect Mary's upbringing and beliefs?
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