A review by abranger
Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma by Melanie Shankle

emotional inspiring fast-paced

5.0

 I just finished listening to the book Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma by Melanie Shankle. This recommendation is probably only for a small subset of readers but for those of you who grew up with a toxic/mentally ill mother this book is for you. I have long ago forgiven my mother for not being the mother I needed or wanted and since having my own daughter I have a deep understanding that she did the best she could given her untreated mental illnesses. It’s still hard to exist in a culture that idealizes mother daughter bonds when I have not spoken to my own mother in many years. Melanie’s raw honesty about healing the generational trauma and doing better for her own daughter made me feel much less alone. I related to so many of her stories. She is a devout Christian and there is a lot of talk about God and Jesus in the book which isn’t my belief system. I was able to substitute my own beliefs in these sections and still relate to her stories and lessons. I think there are many of us doing the work to heal different kinds of generational trauma. This book will help you feel a bit less alone in the journey.