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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In Mother’s Ruin: A Mother’s Addiction and Her Daughter’s Survival, Belle Mills talks about her upbringing with her mother, Moya, whose alcoholism, inconsistent rules, and shifting moods shaped Mills’s life. She shares episodes of punishment, anxiety, and detachment, alongside moments of affection and routine. Mills speaks about her mother’s relationship with a man named James, one that was defined by alcohol use and volatility, and her brother Matthew’s role as a steady presence. As her mother’s health declined due to kidney disease and addiction, Mills took on caregiving duties, managing her mother’s physical deterioration and emotional unpredictability. After her mother’s death, Mills writes about her grief, mental health battles, therapy, and ongoing anxiety, leaning into the lasting effects of her childhood, centering on responsibility, loss, and the enduring impact of parental addiction.
Mother’s Ruin by Belle Mills is a fearless and unforgettable account of a daughter growing up in the shadow of addiction and loss. So much courage is required for a person to share a story like this with the world, and Mills does so with writing that is straightforward and honest. Readers are shown childhood moments that range from small acts of affection to raw scenes of neglect. Without holding anything back, Mills' account is heartbreaking. She clearly loves her mother and says as much, and talks about the difficulty she had in processing her mother’s absence, experiencing auditory and visual perceptions of her mother in the home after her passing. The most interesting part to me is where Mills describes the therapy to work through trauma, including activities associated with her childhood, like watching cartoons. The result is a memoir that feels intimate, leaving a lasting impression through its sincerity and quiet strength.
