MOTHER AND SON: A Memoir

by Michael Sledge ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 19, 1995

In the tradition of that ill-fated Greek king comes the tale of a boy who really loves his mother. Not that there's any hanky-panky going on; if there were, we would certainly hear all about it, since every minor caress by the author's mother is recalled in loving detail. With the eye of an accountant, Sledge sludges through his memories, ignoring no stone that was ever left unturned in his life. He takes us through every childhood pet, every stupid prank, every adolescent depression, every home-improvement project cooked up by his enterprising mother. And there were many--almost as many as there were men in her life. After divorcing Sledge's abusive, social-climbing father when Sledge was eight, his mother dated all the men in their Houston social circle before marrying Hank, who had three children of his own to add to her five. There was a brief honeymoon/summer camp period reminiscent of The Brady Bunch, but Hank soon proved himself to be a tyrant with more theories on childrearing than Dr. Spock. After driving all the older kids away, Hank also left, and the teenage Sledge became the man of the house--a role he relished. He eventually left for college, became engaged to be married, traveled the world, and discovered he was gay--not necessarily in that order, as he was forced to admit to his fianc‚e. At the end of the book, Sledge confronts his deeply religious Christian mother with his homosexuality, and she takes it pretty well. And that's all. Confessions of a mama's boy: From early childhood up to the writing of this book, Sledge's love for his mother is nothing short of obsessive.

Pub Date: Sept. 19, 1995

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1995

Categories: NONFICTION