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Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
The Space in the Middle by Aster Amelia is a short, punchy self-help book that outlines the formula for understanding why parental estrangement from their adult children is so prevalent these days. It asks the question: Are some doors closed forever, or do they only look that way, and how to tell the difference? From the premise that one in three people in America is estranged from a family member right now, the author examines her own relationship with her mother and father and then compares that relationship to those she has with her own adult children. The big question addressed in this book is about narcissism and whether the behavioral traits of a parent are inherently narcissistic or whether they are just the result of generational conditioning. The purpose of this treatise is to establish whether broken relationships are better left broken for the mental health of all participants or whether they are just damaged and may actually be repaired.
The Space in the Middle is part of a planned series on estrangement and how to deal with it by author Aster Amelia. What I appreciated about the author’s ideas was that they were firmly rooted in her own personal experiences, both as a child of narcissistic parents and as a parent herself of adult children. I found myself looking anew at schisms in my own family situation and evaluating those within the framework that the author provides, and as this was the stated goal of the author, she has achieved her aim in that respect. I also enjoyed her analysis of the different generational traits over the years and was able to recognize and identify with many of them. The section on recognizing true narcissism within a family structure will also be beneficial to many readers. This is a solid start to this series, and although relatively short, the book does pack a useful informational punch. I enjoyed this read and recommend it.
