Maternal Threads by Frances S. Brown | Review & Interview

Today's review is on Maternal Threads by Frances S. Brown; it's a book we've been reading for a while and have wanted to produce a super polished review on this incredible historical memoir. I'll start by saying that from the moment I opened the book, the first line hit me so hard that my curiosity spiked, tripling my initial interest. Frances S. Brown introduces us to her book, "Maternal Threads". with the following line:

"Somewhere wedged into Prohibition and the Jazz era, in early 20th century America, an un-girdling of the Gibson girl birthed a new breed of bitch.The flapper."

By then, the book was almost constantly on my mind. Throughout lectures, other compromises, and the daily to do's, I found myself jogging back to my Kindle reader for more. But before I go into detail, here's a bit more about Maternal Threads and its fresh approach to storytelling.

About the Book:

Maternal Threads by Frances Susanne Brown

Publisher: High Hill Press

Maternal Threads Trailer

"Maternal Threads is a compelling story that weaves one woman's search of her childhood, with the secrets that have been kept from her since birth. While researching her family, Frances Brown finds herself unearthing stories of flappers, prohibition, and strangers that seem to never quite materialize. It isn't until the death of her mother that she's driven to explore the details of her maternal heritage."

Before I get into the review, we want to let the readers know that the author agreed to do an online reading of this book, which will be publishing this week. We also did an interview with the author, which we will include in this feature as well.

Frances S. Brown Book Signing | B&N FL

Impression: Venturing into this book was like catching a compelling episode of "Who Do You Think You Are" on TLC where the preview glues you to your couch, leaving you running to finish up your chores before the next segment begins. Well, that's what I felt like when I read the first page. I remember having a stack of review requests in my hand and an unfinished slice of desert cheesecake; by God, by the time I flipped to page two, I had discarded the stack to the side, poured myself some tea, and retreated to my reading chair in my office. This is what my journey was like.

Brown describes the life of her aunt Charlotte and the neighborhood in which she grew up alongside her mother, a neighborhood that has all since been absorbed by neighboring communities. Her tale reminded me of the time I opened up Google Maps, and showed my grandmother the house in which she had raised her children in New York, while everything else had changed, that house still boasted the same tan and green paint that brought a bounty of memories flushing back. If a book could ever capture feelings of this magnitude, it would be this one. I felt as if I was living, experiencing the memories of her family myself.

The author talks about her life as a wife and mother, letting us into her personal thoughts - thoughts that I found to be comfortingly real and ones you'd only experience with a life-long friend.

"I was fifty-two years old and had raised three reasonably normal children, a daughter and twin sons. I remained happily married to the same man who fathered them for over half my life."

 "We were living in Massachusetts, which placed twenty-one years and thirteen hundred miles between my only daughter and me. But thanks to the modern conveniences of a cellular signal and hands-free devices, we commuted together every morning. We both rose and began our workdays early, in certain seasons before even the sun was awake."

Highlights: This theme of comforting intimacy transports itself throughout the entire book, making me feel as if this incredible story was being told to me from across a chair in my dim-lit office. One of my favorite sections of the book was the beginning of Chapter 4 - where the author describes experiencing one of the very first self-aware moments in her life when she entered public school. Before then, attending Catholic school, Brown's identity had been dormant, hidden behind structured uniforms and vague, almost general adornments, that is until she reaches public school and realizes she has absolutely no idea how to dress, how to be, or who she really was in the sense of individualism.

Frances S. Brown Book Signing | Middleton Thrall Library N.Y.

She describes this in a way that pierces the senses, stripping back our "idea" of what we know and making us reevaluate what we "thought" we knew when we were twelve; how something as simple as uniformity could dig away at our own selves. I could go on about this book; it's enchanting. But I'll say that I never once felt so loved before, that an author could write this way - so immersive and open for a reader like myself to enjoy.

Quality: In terms of quality, this book met the expectations a reader has when they pick up a memoir. Dedicating hours of reading to the story of another person's life requires that the book to be written by an author with unsurmountable skills, taste, and flare. Frances S. Brown has all of those things, her physical aura alone, reads of an author classically born into the publishing world with a seemingly inherited ability to capture one's soul.

Interview with the Author

We asked the author a few questions about her book and her recent signing events. I'm hooked, so we asked the author if she was working on any new projects:

"Yes, I am presently working on a spooky romance entitled Spirits of the Heart. It is set on the grounds of an abandoned mental asylum in the town where I grew up, in Middletown, N.Y. My first book in this genre, Phantom Traces, was released by Soul Mate Publishing on Feb. 17, 2015."

I asked Frances if there was a literary agent behind her, and was impressed to learn that the author has handled the marketing and pitching of her works on her own, landing herself this commission with High Hill Press. When asked if there were any other commissions scheduled with this publisher, she said,

"At the present time, I do not have any other commissions scheduled with this particular publisher, though I do intend to write another personal memoir story in the near future, which I will of course submit to HHP.

I also write for Soul Mate Publishing under the pseudonym Claire Gem, and for Lachesis Publishing as Charlotte Daly. The contemporary romance series coming from Lachesis is called The Lake George Series, and Book One, Memories of You, is due out later this year." 

Looking forward to that memoir, be sure to note these pseudonyms for more work by this author. Still caught up in the magic of this book, I asked the author what inspired her to create such an astounding book:

"Maternal Threads began as my thesis for my MFA in creative writing at Lesley University. What began as an academic venture blossomed into an intense exploration of my maternal heritage, resulting in this memoir. "

Signings & Readings

Frances S. Brown has engaged in a few book signings over the past month, notably one on August 13 at a Barnes & Noble in Tampa, Florida; she also graced fans with her presence for a special signing at the Middleton Thrall Library in New York in June.

The author has upcoming scheduled signings on September 12 for The Booklover's Gourmet in Webster, Ma at 2:00pm. There's also another possible signing in the works for the Barnes & Noble located in the Prudential Center in Boston, Ma.

You can catch her ay the Middleton Thrall Library in New York again on the 27th of Sept. for an author/illustrator event at 1:30pm.

Also remember to check back here, as we will have an online reading selection from Maternal Threads by the author.

Readers can follow the author via Twitter @FrancesSBrown & Amazon.

Get the Book

If you've been touched as I was by this book, You can purchase it on:

Maternal Threads
AMAZON | BOOKTOPIA | GOODREADS

It was an incredible journey to read this book, write about the author, and discover her own journey throughout the publishing world.