Picture an abusive mother that subjects her daughter to such psychological torture that when the daughter leaves for college, she never returns home, not even when Mom is on her deathbed. Who could blame her? Well, what if the mother was suffering from early-onset Alzheimers and may not have been responsible for her actions? What would you do then? If you're Julie Hilden, you write a book arguing that, considering how much of her life was wasted in her mother's iron grip, she had every right to abandon her mother. A controversial stance to be sure, but Hilden presents her story with a dignity and conviction born ofthe many battles she's fought, avoiding the pitfalls of the talk-show confessional that plagues so many autobiographies these days. In her attempt to convey her side of the story (and convince herself that she was right?), Hilden shares everything about her life - and her mother's effect on it - with an honesty and passion that, at times, is disconcerting. Occasionally too melodramatic for her own good, Hilden could have used a stronger editor to help fix some poorly written passages. Regardless, The Bad Daughter is a moving and important memoir, an impressive effort from a novice writer.
This review originally appeared in The Weekly Alibi.
© Todd Meigs
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