I can’t tell you how many Patricia Polacco books I’ve read.
My youngest brought home every Polacco book she could find during library time at school. She loved the pictures and we all loved the stories.
Each of her books shares a unique message that always made us think and feel deeply. In Our Mother’s House, is no exception.
Written from the perspective of the eldest daughter, we learn what it’s like to grow up in her home with two moms, Marmee and Meema. As each of her siblings is adopted into the family, we watch the loving support, laughter, and sense of community grow from the love the two moms share with their family and community.
We also see what fear and intolerance looks like, as one neighbour doesn’t accept the lesbian couple, causing a scene at the neighbourhood party.
I love how Marmee and Meema teach their children that being different is good and compassion and love wins in the end. They show their children they’re everything a family is meant to be.
This book captures the feeling of home. It reminds us how a home can contain the love and memories of a family even after the parents have died.
If you ever find yourself longing to go back to your mother’s house, this book reminds us unconditional love can sustain us long after we leave our mother’s home.
Helps with: understanding differences, cultural diversity, families with two moms, acceptance, prejudice, being unique, tolerance, adoption, growing up, death, and the meaning of home.
Author: Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Philomel Books, 2009