Daughters

Daughters by Corinne Demas
11/11/25;  283 pages
Little A

Daughters by Corinne Demas is a recommended family drama, for the right reader, which focuses on a complicated relationship between mother and daughter.

Meredith (Merry) takes her seven-year-old daughter Eloise and leaves LA and her husband behind. They fly back to New England to permanently stay with her mother Delia and step-father Bob on the family farm. Without any explanation of what happened or why she is there, Meredith looks for support from her mother. Delia is very happy to provide that support but would perhaps appreciate some more information. Once home, Meredith has all manner of childhood resentments surface. She also gets in touch with her old crush, Wylie.

While the cover of the book is beautiful and the writing can be quite good, the plot can be tedious and the relationship between characters is tiresome and unrealistic. Ultimately, an adult married daughter moves home without warning,  doesn't discuss the reasons why with her mother, and then gets angry at her mother for trying to find out the reason while simultaneously caring/cooking for them. Meredith also continues to be upset at being taught to play the violin when young by her violin teacher mother. Meredith's siblings fall into their caricature roles, as does Wylie.

Meredith simply comes across as an immature, entitled youngest daughter who simply expects to be able to do whatever she wants without an explanation. At the same time, it is helpful when Meredith and Eloise help with the farm animals. She has good reasons for leaving that could have been shared with her mother. In fact one of the reasons she should have shared with her immediately as it is often an event that a mother/woman would understand. 

Delia was a much more sympathetic character. She and Bob said of course they could stay, yet Meredith acted like it was an expected entitlement and any plans they might have had should be cancelled for her unexpected arrival. The foolish action Delia takes later in the novel was unbelievable but also could have been easily prevented by five or six words, "Mom, I had a miscarriage" or "Mom, he no longer wants us." Ultimately, the ending provides a satisfying, redemptive story line, but the journey to get there was irksome at times. 

Daughters will be best appreciated by those who enjoy mother/daughter family dramas. Thanks to Little A for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.