Dorothy Allison

My mother married three times. Well, the first marriage was annulled. But she married my stepfather when I was five and lived with him until she died.

My mother married three times. Well, the first marriage was annulled. But she married my stepfather when I was five and lived with him until she died.

Yes. Did she know about it? Yes and no. One of the things that's hard to explain to people is that my mother knew because there were... I told her. Actually, I didn't tell her. I told one of my cousins who told her. What's hard to explain is that she did not let herself know all of everything that was happening. She couldn't have.

Yes. Did she know about it? Yes and no. One of the things that's hard to explain to people is that my mother knew because there were... I told her. Actually, I didn't tell her. I told one of my cousins who told her. What's hard to explain is that she did not let herself know all of everything that was happening. She couldn't have.

Yes. Did she know about it? Yes and no. One of the things that's hard to explain to people is that my mother knew because there were... I told her. Actually, I didn't tell her. I told one of my cousins who told her. What's hard to explain is that she did not let herself know all of everything that was happening. She couldn't have.

And when I grew up and I would go home and talk to her, we would have these very long, slow, painful conversations. And she was enormously guilty that she had not been able to stop it. And she tried. That's one of the hard things that I try to show in the book is, like my mother, Annie in the book, tries desperately...

And when I grew up and I would go home and talk to her, we would have these very long, slow, painful conversations. And she was enormously guilty that she had not been able to stop it. And she tried. That's one of the hard things that I try to show in the book is, like my mother, Annie in the book, tries desperately...

And when I grew up and I would go home and talk to her, we would have these very long, slow, painful conversations. And she was enormously guilty that she had not been able to stop it. And she tried. That's one of the hard things that I try to show in the book is, like my mother, Annie in the book, tries desperately...

to prevent what she sees happening even though she doesn't see a lot of what's going on and she tries to protect her children she believes absolutely that the man she loves will is going to change that what's happening is just because he can't find a job because his father is mean to him because he's hurt and wounded that he's just she thinks of him as this little boy that she's going to mother into being a good man and she cannot believe that that's not happening

to prevent what she sees happening even though she doesn't see a lot of what's going on and she tries to protect her children she believes absolutely that the man she loves will is going to change that what's happening is just because he can't find a job because his father is mean to him because he's hurt and wounded that he's just she thinks of him as this little boy that she's going to mother into being a good man and she cannot believe that that's not happening

to prevent what she sees happening even though she doesn't see a lot of what's going on and she tries to protect her children she believes absolutely that the man she loves will is going to change that what's happening is just because he can't find a job because his father is mean to him because he's hurt and wounded that he's just she thinks of him as this little boy that she's going to mother into being a good man and she cannot believe that that's not happening

Not until I was in my 30s did I really start to get angry at her in that way. My mother... My mother loved me. My mother spent her whole life desperately trying to make my life and the lives of my sisters better. She literally worked herself to death taking care of us, trying to make some small difference.

Not until I was in my 30s did I really start to get angry at her in that way. My mother... My mother loved me. My mother spent her whole life desperately trying to make my life and the lives of my sisters better. She literally worked herself to death taking care of us, trying to make some small difference.

Not until I was in my 30s did I really start to get angry at her in that way. My mother... My mother loved me. My mother spent her whole life desperately trying to make my life and the lives of my sisters better. She literally worked herself to death taking care of us, trying to make some small difference.

And if you had ever had a way to meet her, you would have met someone that was just extraordinarily loving, kind. and a very large soul human being. And that's, I was madly in love with my mother. And I knew how impossible her life was. She worked as a waitress her whole life. The best job she ever had was as a cook. She was constantly sick. There was enormous bills.

And if you had ever had a way to meet her, you would have met someone that was just extraordinarily loving, kind. and a very large soul human being. And that's, I was madly in love with my mother. And I knew how impossible her life was. She worked as a waitress her whole life. The best job she ever had was as a cook. She was constantly sick. There was enormous bills.

And if you had ever had a way to meet her, you would have met someone that was just extraordinarily loving, kind. and a very large soul human being. And that's, I was madly in love with my mother. And I knew how impossible her life was. She worked as a waitress her whole life. The best job she ever had was as a cook. She was constantly sick. There was enormous bills.

She never, never got her life under control. And she always thought if she just worked a little harder, did this little thing more, it would be possible. That having her there, having her like this barrier between me and what was essentially a really cruel world, I loved her enormously. I could not possibly have been angry at her while I was at home. And for a long time after, she was my heroine.

She never, never got her life under control. And she always thought if she just worked a little harder, did this little thing more, it would be possible. That having her there, having her like this barrier between me and what was essentially a really cruel world, I loved her enormously. I could not possibly have been angry at her while I was at home. And for a long time after, she was my heroine.

She never, never got her life under control. And she always thought if she just worked a little harder, did this little thing more, it would be possible. That having her there, having her like this barrier between me and what was essentially a really cruel world, I loved her enormously. I could not possibly have been angry at her while I was at home. And for a long time after, she was my heroine.