As experienced marathoner Nadia embarks on her biggest challenge yet, a 100-kilometre ultrarun, her thoughts turn to her maternal grandmother, who emigrated to the Netherlands in the early 1950s as a young widow, escaping Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of a Communist coup d'etat. As Nadia struggles with unexpected obstacles in the longest race of her life, the parallels with her grandmother become clearer. However, Nadia also realizes that Oma, now 94, has been tested far more than her granddaughter likely ever will.
From my Mother is a novel exploring identity through the parallel stories of a marathoner tackling her first 100-kilometre (62-mile) ultrarun and her maternal grandmother who fled Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of a Communist coup d'etat.
The first novel by Margreet Dietz, author of four nonfiction books including A Hundred Reasons to Run 100km and Running Shoes Are a Girl's Best Friend, was inspired by a true story.
From my Mother considers some of life's fundamental questions, who am I?, and, where do I come from?, through the main character, Nadia, as the experienced distance runner embarks on her biggest challenge yet along the roads of British Columbia's Lower Mainland.
In the race, Nadia's thoughts turn to Oma, her grandmother, who emigrated to the Netherlands in the early 1950s as a young widowed mother of one.
Though close to her grandmother, Nadia receives a phone call that fuels a recent belief she knows far less about her family history than she always thought.
As Nadia struggles with unexpected obstacles in the longest race of her life, the parallels with her grandmother become clearer. However, Nadia also realizes that Oma, now 94, has been tested far more than her granddaughter likely ever will.
Professional Reviews
Literary R&R
From My Mother is a parallel story, focusing on the obstacles faced while running long distances, and the obstacles faced by the runner's grandmother as she faced emigration from her home in Czechoslovakia during Communist takeover. As she competes in her first ultra run, roughly 62 miles, Nadia thinks back on the stories her grandmother has shared, and reflects on how dogged determination may run in her family.
From My Mother is a very touching story of a matriarch that deeply ingrains survival into her family. Largely a book filled with a marathoner's mindset, all of the technical and running jargon do not detract from the story of a love between granddaughter and "Oma" that spans continents, and the hardships that molded the generations into persevering, strong women. The freedom Nadia feels as she runs also parallels the freedom her grandmother struggled so hard to find. This is a novel that successfully integrates heart and sport.
Readers Favorite
Over the duration of a 100 km marathon, Nadia reflects on the life of her Oma (grandma), the hardships her loved one endured and the impact it made on the way she lived.
Miles pass under Nadia's feet, her goal is merely to reach the finish line, not necessarily to win . . . for accomplishing the goal is a victory in her book. It allows her time to dwell on her family's history, dig deep into the root and the result, pull tidbits of clues and join them together to create a full picture of those things that had been so vague.
Oma is cranky, to say the least, at her age. She lives in an apartment in a senior complex, having moved from a house she rented for many years. Paranoia (probably from the trials she faced in her younger years) has set in heavily. The local police are on speed dial as she frequently lodges complaints against her son-in-law, who she feels is surely trying to get her out of the way so he can have her inheritance. Of course, this is not the case and those around her try to be patient and understanding.
Nadia's journey of 100km is one in which her physical strength is pushed but also her heart and mind.
It was not difficult to get wrapped up in this story, feeling the ups and downs both in the race and in Nadia's life. It brings to mind that, as stated in the book, our feet may be busy but our minds are still free. I loved that! I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who are into marathons and so on.
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