Mother and Daughter Tales

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

An elderly couple is astonished to discover that the snowman they built
in their front yard has taken life and become a loving child. An unhappy
Japanese orphan finds she can see her deceased mother in a special
mirror she has inherited. A Greek goddess holds the world hostage until
her kidnaped daughter is returned to her. A dying mother in Russia finds
a way to watch over her daughter, even after she is gone.

The special relationship between mothers and daughters is the focus of
this classic collection of 11 stories from around the world. In her
afterword, Evetts-Secker writes, “These stories explore themes
universal to the mother/daughter experience. They reflect what it is to
be a natural and spiritual woman ... to distinguish the false from the
true, to honor the process of birth and death. This is the wisdom that
mothers must pass on, and in all cultures, they do so through the medium
of story.”

In retelling these stories, Evetts-Secker has managed to preserve the
original essence of each one’s heritage. Some of the tales have
unhappy elements, yet the recurring themes of love, sacrifice,
faithfulness, and wisdom make them a pleasure to read. Each tale is
further enhanced by the work of Helen Cann, who combines folk-art
patterns and traditional costumes to produce outstanding illustrations.
Highly recommended.