I Am My Mother's Daughter - by Dara Kurtz (Paperback)

About the Book

When Dara Kurtz was twenty-eight years old, her mother died of cancer. Dara entered a long period of intractable grief, while she was nevertheless also blessed with a warm family life and a successful career. Then, at the age of forty-two, she was herself diagnosed with cancer. An important part of Dara's recovery was renewing contact with the strong Jewish women who had loved and raised her by rereading their letters to her. These letters caused her to reflect on the love between mothers and daughters and how wisdom and traditions can be passed on from one generation to the next. In this memoir and self-help book, Dara shares funny, inspirational stories of family life, as well as tips and information to help others strengthen their relationships and find joy every day. --Adapted from book jacket flap.

Book Synopsis



For most of her adult life, Dara Kurtz kept a Ziploc bag of letters written by her mother who passed away from cancer when she was twenty-eight years old. The bag also included other letters written by her long-departed grandmothers. These letters gave Dara a glimpse into their lives and personalities at the time the letters were written. They offered her so much wisdom and relevance and taught her so many beautiful, life lessons that Dara decided to share their story, the incredible love between Jewish mothers and daughters, and the wisdom passed on from one generation to the next. As a mother, Dara has passed down these family traditions and wisdom to her two daughters, who now carry on the legacy contained in the Ziploc bag bridging the generations of women in their family. She unexpected discovered that this is best done through the lens of love and through the hand-written word.

About the Author

DARA KURTZ, after being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of forty-two, left her twenty-year career as a personal banker and financial advisor to focus on writing, speaking, and podcasting. Today her personal blog, Crazy Perfect Life (www.crazyperfectlife.com), reaches over 180,000 followers. Dara is the author of two books, Crush Cancer: Personal Enlightenment from a Cancer Survivor and Crush Cancer Workbook. Dara's goal is to use her life experiences to help people strengthen their relationships and create more happiness and joy in their everyday lives.