👩👧 Book Review: Everything My Mother Taught Me by Alice Hoffman (Kindle Edition, Inheritance Collection)
A haunting, emotionally rich coming-of-age tale set against the cold backdrop of 1908 Massachusetts—Alice Hoffman delivers a powerful meditation on silence, betrayal, and the quiet strength of a young girl navigating her mother’s secrets.
🧠 Overview
Published in December 2019 as part of Amazon Original Stories’ Inheritance Collection, Everything My Mother Taught Me is a 24-page literary short story by bestselling author Alice Hoffman. The story follows Adeline, a 12-year-old girl whose life is shaped by her mother’s stern warning: “Don’t say a word.” After her father dies, Adeline and her mother, Nora, move to a remote lighthouse off Cape Ann, where Nora takes a housekeeping job—and begins an affair with a married man.
Adeline, a silent witness to her mother’s betrayal and the disappearance of a local woman, must decide whether to keep her vow of silence or find a way to speak the truth without uttering a word.
✨ Key Themes & Highlights
- 🧣 Mother-daughter tension: Nora is portrayed as narcissistic and emotionally distant, while Adeline’s quiet resilience becomes the heart of the story
- 🕯️ Atmospheric setting: The isolated lighthouse and wintry Massachusetts coast amplify the story’s sense of loneliness and mystery
- ✍️ Poetic prose: Hoffman’s writing is lyrical and compact, packing emotional weight into every sentence
- 💌 Silent rebellion: Adeline’s vow of silence becomes a powerful act of agency, culminating in a note that changes lives
“There are those who insist that mothers are born with love for their children and place them before all other things… This was not the case with us.” — Wordsopedia review
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.98/5 from over 32,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers praise the story’s emotional depth, strong character work, and evocative setting
- 🧾 Many note Hoffman’s ability to explore complex relationships in very few pages
- 💬 “Deeply atmospheric, engaging, and unforgettable… Hoffman’s writing is powerful and poetic.” — Wordsopedia review
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 24 pages, it’s a brief but intense read—best experienced in one sitting
- 📚 Literary tone: The story leans into introspection and symbolism rather than plot-driven suspense
- 🧾 Part of a collection: One of five stories in the Inheritance series, each exploring secrets and emotional legacies
🏁 Final Verdict
Everything My Mother Taught Me is a poignant and beautifully written short story that captures the quiet pain and strength of a young girl forced to grow up too soon. Alice Hoffman’s mastery of emotional nuance and lyrical storytelling makes this a standout entry in the Inheritance Collection. Perfect for fans of literary fiction, historical settings, and complex family dynamics.
