I RAISED MY TEENAGE MOM.” ADULT
DAUGHTER SHARES TOUCHING STORY OF ROLE REVERSAL, CAREGIVING AND LOVE
Memoir Brings Us The Extraordinary Journey of a Mother-Daughter Duo Reminiscent of
Gilmore Girls
Raising, and Losing, My Remarkable Teenage Mother by Award-Winning Publishing Partner Stacey Aaronson Releases June 14, 2021
When Stacey Aaronson was born, her mother, Bree, was sixteen and barely out of braces. Hastily wed to Stacey’s dad and divorced soon after, Bree raised Stacey with his and her parents’ loving support. Growing up together in an often role-reversal scenario and mistaken for sisters, Bree would come to say, “I didn’t raise Stacey. Stacey raised me.
In her debut
memoir, Raising, and
Losing, My Remarkable Teenage Mother, Aaronson—a ghostwriter,
editor, book designer, and publishing partner who has been involved in the full
or partial production of over two hundred books—tells the extraordinary story
of the duo she and her mother formed during Bree’s lifetime, reminiscent
of Gilmore Girls.
Anchoring each other to the world through unwavering love and acceptance, Bree
and Stacey take on life with an uncanny gift for seeing magic in the most
ordinary moments. Whether bouncing between the markedly different homes of her
mom, dad, and grandparents, discovering her religious and sexual identities, or
starting college in her mid-twenties, Stacey is buoyed by Bree’s devotion as a
mother, a sister, a daughter, and a friend. She helps Bree navigate her own
path as she seeks the biological mother she never knew and a partner to grow
old with. But Bree—despite her vibrant spirit and astounding near-reversal of
an MS diagnosis—learns too young she has cancer, whose underlying emotional
causes even a cutting-edge, non-toxic treatment can’t cure.
As Stacey steps into the role of caregiver, the two face the most poignant leg of their journey: nurturing their deep soul connection even as one soul transitions to another realm. Brimming with miracles, wonder, and joy even in its saddest moments, Raising, and Losing, My Remarkable Teenage Mother is a tender yet ebullient celebration of life, of love, of death’s mysterious passage, and the mystical forces that bind us all.
The 411:
I read this book in two weeks. Stacey's Mom Bree was a 16 year old teenager exactly the same age as my own daughter. As an older mom I found the story very interesting but sad at times. I had my first at 36 and my second at 38 and cannot imagine the kind of mom I would have been had I been as young as Bree.
Bree and Stacey grew up together with Stacey something feeling as if she were the parent. Bree often looked for Stacey to be her plaything and eventually her friend. As Stacey grew up the role reversal was more obvious especially in the story with Bree wanting her daughter to stay home from school so they could play and Stacey saying she needed to go to school.
I imagine growing up at times must have felt very confusing with Bree falling for man after man or at least to me that was how it felt. Each new relationship changed the dynamic of mother and daughter depending. Move in with mom, move out and in with dad all depending on the situation. It made me sad for Stacey at times but Stacey appeared to take it in stride and their relationship seemed very solid, loving and respectful of each other.
The short chapters made the story feel very free and real. I enjoyed reading about Stacey's relationships with the other adults in her life and eventually her and her mother's reconnection as Bree becomes ill. Definitely a touching book.
A Mother/Daughter bond was exactly what I prayed for losing my own mom when I was 12. Thankfully I have an amazing bond with my now 16 year old and while I keep waiting for the moment it changes because I am so certain it has to this story gave me hope! I know she has to live her life and I want that for her but hopefully we are as close as Bree and Stacey.
Advance Praise for Raising, and Losing, My Remarkable Teenage Mother
“This uncommon and
heartwarming mother-daughter relationship through the years is a quirky,
tender, playful, mystical, inspiring breath of fresh air . . . [it] will leave
you bemused, intrigued, warmed, and subtly changed by this life journey and the
relationship at the heart of it.”
—Patty Bear, author of the memoir From Plain to Plane: My Mennonite
Childhood, a National Scandal, and an Unconventional Soar to Freedom
“Raising,
and Losing, My Remarkable Teenage Mother is a sensitive, and
at times hilarious, depiction of the special love between a teenage mother and
her daughter . . . Your heart will be touched in a way that only the truest of
loves between a parent and child can.”
—Mary Twomey Odgers, author of the memoir Six Funerals and a Wedding
“A precocious
daughter and her wildflower mother navigate life through complex family
dynamics and relationships, happiness and tears . . . impossible to put
down.”
—Lori Stillman, co-author of Jumping from Helicopters: A Vietnam Memoir
About the Author
Stacey Aaronson relishes finding awe in everyday miracles and embracing self-reinvention. Thanks to self-taught graphic design skills and a heaping spoonful of Universal magic, in 2011―after twenty years in retail leadership roles―she began designing books for authors. Today, Stacey is an established writer, ghostwriter, editor, book designer, and publishing partner who has been involved in the full or partial production of over two hundred books. She delights in working with authors of multiple genres within her business, The Book Doctor Is In, and as a layout artist for She Writes Press. She lives with her soul mate, Dana, on Whidbey Island in Washington state with their Maine Coon Kitty and the scads of birds, deer, and squirrels that roam their property. Raising, and Losing, My Remarkable Teenage Mother is Stacey’s first solo publication.
Title: Raising, and Losing, My RemarkableTeenage Mother
Author: Stacey Aaronson
Publisher: Astoria Books
Language: English
Paperback: $18.00
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7364605-3-5
To Pre-Order
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was offered.
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