How do you think the story would be different if told from Laura's mother's point of view?

How do you think the story would be different if told from Laura's mother's point of view?

Incredibly different. First and foremost, I have doubts as to whether it would have been an honest account, based on what Laura wrote about her mother. Or if it had been a recording of her true feelings, they probably would be expressed across the spectrum of emotions making it challenging for the reader to sort them out.

Very different. I have a feeling there would be a lot of negative judgement of Laura and her situation. Her mother really didn't have any empathy for her. She seemed to think Laura's pregnancy was an affront to her as the mother rather than caring about how it was affecting Laura.

I do believe it would be quite different indeed. I know that my Mom suffered greatly throughout her life as a result of my teen pregnancy. I was able to empathize with her feelings even though her expression of those feelings caused me permanent emotional scars. She prayed for forgiveness the rest of her life and I only learned of these earnest prayers after her death by way of reading one of her prayer journals. She had been worried about my younger sister’s reputation being ruined and my parents moved our family away from our long term home as a result. I forgave my Mom long ago and only wish now she could have met her amazing grandson to share my great pride and love for him.

The story would have been filtered through the lens of the mother's attempt to keep herself pulled together and to prevent disparaging "talk" about the family based on the whole concept of shame. A book from the mother's point of view would not have had the honesty and emotional appeal that drew in so many of us readers - judging from the first few comments today. At times I wondered if Laura's mother had possibly ended a pregnancy in her early life or quietly disappeared to have a baby herself, and the weight of that experience had made her bury all emotions as she kept it secret from everyone.
I don't know if The Great Depression and World War II made American parents, like Laura's, feel as if they had a very tenuous grasp on a normal life and so they couldn't stay calm during a deviation in the "suburban American dream." I'm grasping at straws to try and understand.

GREAT question! I think the key words are that Laura SHAMED and EMBARRASSED the family. Their thoughts were not about supporting Laura emotionally but minimizing their humiliation. Yet, those were the times in which this took place.

It probably would have focused more on the shame Laura caused. How could she do this to me? How stupid was she? I spent my whole life trying to raise you right and this is what you do. Wonder if there would have been anything about her loss of a grandchild

Laura's mother seemed like a deeply disturbed woman at a time when mental health issues were not understood and kept deeply hidden. I think her version would have been told from her perspective with very little empathy or regard for Laura. In that respect, she was a lot like Clay but for different reasons. Laura's pregnancy was another secret to be guarded from the world outside their family. I also wondered more about her back story.

You know, what kept running through my mind while reading the book was that we're only getting half the story, and that Laura is telling her story decades after the events depicted. I truly wonder how reliable her narration is, because I honestly don't think anyone's memory is that good. I'm therefore really curious about what her mom would have said about her account. I agree it would have been full of resentment and anger, but I don't think we can definitively say she would have been 100% wrong to feel that way, given the circumstances.

I agree with Ellen’s post noting how mental health issues were not understood and were kept hidden. If Laura’s mom had written the story from her perspective, I think she would have focused a lot on the shame, humiliation and embarrassment, but I also think there would have been some gaps in the story, given the weeks of depression that she often experienced.

I’m sure the story would’ve been very different if Laura’s mother told her point of view. This book is based on Laura’s real life so I don’t think hearing from her mother would be appropriate. In a fictional version I do think it would be very interesting to have a few snippets of her mother’s view in diary or letter form or even the thoughts of her grandmother, Dad or Richard. I think it speaks to the author’s ability to pique the reader’s interest into the other characters.

Laura's mother was concerned with outward appearances and did not care about feelings.

I don't think the mother was capable of having a valid opinion. Her unstable emotional condition prevented it.

I agree with the others. Laura’s mother’s story would be very different. It would focus on her reputation and how upset and embarrassed she was that her daughter got pregnant as a teen. It would be pretty negative. People weren’t as accepting of teen pregnancy as they are today. It was a different time. I’m sure she also felt like it was a negative reflection of herself.She probably felt like others would blame her for her daughter’s actions.

My first thought as I read this question was, "I would need a drink in hand to be able to do it!" And it would be for all of the reasons mentioned above: the negativity and vitriol that was a direct result of the shame and embarrassment of Laura's pregnancy.