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A Daughter's a Daughter
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
19 posts | 10 read | 8 to read
Agatha Christie's 6 forgotten psychological romance novels are now being published under her own name for the first time - Mary Westmacott. Ann and Richard's love is sabotaged by Ann's daughter Sarah, who cannot contemplate her mother remarrying.
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review
BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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Pickpick

Another belated review from January!

I have been blown away by the depth of psychological insight in each of the Mary Westmacott novels. This was excellent as well, but also at times excruciating to read—mainly because of that depth of insight. Christie gives such a clear view of each character, and the motivations behind their actions, while simultaneously showing their inability or refusal to see others with the clarity needed. ⬇️

BarbaraJean For me, this book echoed some the avoidance and lack of self-awareness we see with Joan in Absent in the Spring, but with much higher relational consequences here. The ending felt rushed, but still—yet another high pick for another Westmacott novel!
#LMWBR #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead @CSeydel
And, this was my 1952 pick for #192025. @librarybelle
(edited) 7mo
Librarybelle This one may be my favorite of the ones we read, though there are a couple that I didn‘t get to read yet. It was so good! 7mo
BarbaraJean @Librarybelle I think Absent in the Spring might be my favorite of the Westmacott novels—but honestly, they‘ve all been so good. The Burden I think was the weakest. 7mo
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blurb
CSeydel
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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Happy Saturday #westmakittens! Sorry I‘ve dragged my feet on the discussion for this book. I have to share that I find this one incredibly painful for various reasons. I quite relate to Ann and her preference for self-sacrifice over conflict. Re-reading this book now that I‘m older, it strikes me how many of my worst regrets can be traced back to this tendency.

What about you? What did you see in these characters?
#LMWBR #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead

CSeydel I fiercely hated Sarah and her selfish, bratty behavior. But this time around, reading it as a mother of adult children, I felt more of the blame lay with Richard for forcing a confrontation rather than being patient, and with Ann for not working on Sarah in private to communicate her feelings and try to lessen to conflict or at least get to the real source of it. 9mo
Librarybelle I felt so bad for Ann, sacrificing so much. Sarah and Richard were terrible. They put Ann in a terrible position, and as someone who also tries to keep everyone happy, I can relate to the strain Ann felt as she tried to “referee.” 9mo
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rubyslippersreads @CSeydel Sarah was a brat, but Richard was the adult in the situation and could have behaved better. And Ann was an adult too, and could have communicated better, as you pointed out. An interesting book, but not a comfortable one. 9mo
willaful @CSeydel It was definitely different for me too, reading as the mother of an adult child now. A&R could have done a lot more to defuse the situation.

Personally, I think it was very wrong of Ann to make a sacrifice that she couldn't do without bitterness and anger. It wasn't a reasoned choice, but a desperate one and she really did it more for herself than Sarah, and then took it out on her. For years. (Not that Sarah wasn't cruel & awful.)
9mo
quietjenn If like to think that I couldn't really relate to any of them 😅, although that might be denying my worst tendencies. I think they all handled the situation terribly and deserved some blame. 9mo
Ruthiella Dame Laura! The reader can intuit where the plot is going but is powerless to prevent anything. 9mo
willaful @Ruthiella Yes, Dame Laura is a good audience stand-in. She sees it all but no one listens to her. 9mo
CSeydel @willaful she‘s dead-set against giving advice as well 9mo
BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @willaful Yes, I definitely related to Dame Laura as well. She could see all sides, and the inevitability of how it would play out. @CSeydel What did you think of her determination to NOT give advice? I could see why that was her approach, but it also frustrated me that she was so completely hands-off. I wondered how things would have gone with Ann if Laura hadn‘t been away for so long, and/or if she‘d have offered some direction. 9mo
BarbaraJean I unfortunately related to Ann a lot as well. The avoidance of conflict is strong for me!! But there was more going on there than just avoiding conflict. The lack of self-knowledge/failure to understand each other was universal! Sarah was awful, but her selfishness & lack of consideration for others stemmed from immaturity & inexperience. Neither adult seemed able to see her behavior for what it was. Richard‘s behavior was just as bad as Sarah‘s⤵️ 9mo
BarbaraJean I felt he was more culpable, as an adult who should have considered both the source of Sarah‘s behavior as well as how his own actions were exacerbating the situation. Then Ann needed to take responsibility for the choice she made—recognizing her bitterness and resentment and dealing with it rather than burying herself in the constant social whirl. Which is another kind of avoidance, I guess! 9mo
CSeydel @BarbaraJean Yes, I found myself getting very frustrated with Dame Laura! Even Ann was getting frustrated with her refusal to get involved! I agreed with her general principle about not giving advice - people don‘t want to hear it, even if they think they do - but I wish she had been a little less cryptic with Ann and Sarah when she was sharing her thoughts. Or a lot less. 9mo
CSeydel @BarbaraJean And yes, this time around, I felt much more annoyed with Richard for his lack of patience and perspicacity. 9mo
31 likes14 comments
review
Librarybelle
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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Pickpick

This has to be one of the most psychologically manipulative books I‘ve ever read - it‘s a 5 star read for me, yet it feels wrong to say I loved this. The things the characters do to each other in this novel is twisted and heartbreaking. There was one point in the book that I felt an anxiety attack coming on - it‘s that vivid.

Kudos to Christie for crafting such a memorable book. #LMWBR #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead #Westmakittens

Ruthiella Great review. I just finished it today and heartbreaking is right! 💔😢 9mo
Deblovestoread I haven‘t read any of Christie‘s written under a pseudonym. Your review makes it very intriguing. 9mo
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Librarybelle Thanks, @Ruthiella ! I just could not believe the manipulation…and the price paid for it! 9mo
Librarybelle @Deblovestoread They‘re a little different - no murders, of course! - but her dive into humanity and psychology has been quite enjoyable and really spot on. She makes the stories feel so real. 9mo
Librarybelle And, I just realized, this is my #BookSpin for #BookSpinBingo ! @TheAromaofBooks 9mo
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! I tried two of her Westmacott books and they didn't work for me. But now you have me wondering if I should try again haha 9mo
Librarybelle @TheAromaofBooks I‘ve liked the Westmacott books I‘ve read so far, but this one is probably my favorite of them. 9mo
Crazeedi @Librarybelle wow, sounds like a book that really gets to you, I'm rather afraid to even try, the stress may be too much right now, lol 9mo
Librarybelle @Crazeedi Some pretty anxious moments for sure! 9mo
CSeydel Great review. This is such a powerful novel. I had read it once before and I have to say, I was a little bit dreading going through all that again. But reading it a second time I‘m seeing different details as well. Heartbreaking 9mo
Librarybelle Thanks, @CSeydel ! I love how Christie‘s works, no matter how many times you may reread one of them, you always find new details missed from prior readings. This one is truly heartbreaking. 9mo
86 likes1 stack add12 comments
blurb
willaful
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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Wow. Most of the foreign covers for this are on the sentimental/bittersweet side; I particularly like the one showing a couple getting married while a young child kneels forlornly nearby. But this one... dayum. The Daughter Wears Prada?

Like Absent in the Spring, this was a somewhat excruciating read, though ending on a note of hope. It's largely about how people in close relationships can influence each other, for bad or good.

rubyslippersreads I‘m not sure if this cover is supposed to depict Ann‘s frantic social whirl, or Sarah‘s shocking life with Lawrence. 😏 9mo
willaful @rubyslippersreads I was torn as well. 9mo
20 likes3 comments
blurb
CSeydel
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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#LMWBR #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead

Hey #westmakittens I have unfortunately been under the weather this week and I don‘t have questions prepared. But I wanted to go ahead and make a post for people to share their thoughts about the book. I found this one a very hard read. What did you think of Ann and Sarah‘s relationship?

Ruthiella Sorry you have been feeling unwell. ❤️ I‘m only 1/4 of the way in, but I‘m afraid for Ann. 😬 (edited) 9mo
CSeydel @Ruthiella you are not wrong to feel afraid. I‘m looking forward to your review when you finish! 9mo
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Librarybelle Hope you feel better soon! I‘m still reading this and will hopefully post my thoughts this weekend! 9mo
quietjenn Sorry you aren't feeling well! Hope you improve soon. I've finished and for sure have Thoughts, but will save since others are still reading. 9mo
willaful I have a feeling this book has lurked in my subconscious for decades, because I have a disabled adult child, which has a large impact on my life, but I try to never let myself to get to the point of resenting her for my choices.

9mo
rubyslippersreads I just finished this, and it struck me that, although Christie is synonymous with murder, some of her Westmacott characters can be as cruel as murderers. 9mo
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quote
Librarybelle
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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“But at forty-one, one had learned that one‘s whole future was very seldom at stake. Life was far more elastic and resilient than one had once chosen to think.”

As someone who is 41 and has gone through some pretty big things in this past year, this quote really got me. I actually exclaimed aloud! Good old Agatha for once again getting to me! #LMWBR #Westmakittens

IuliaC Very good quote! I'm 41 as well and feel I resonate with it 9mo
Librarybelle @IuliaC ❤️❤️❤️ 9mo
Ruthiella Totally. Perspective really changes as we age. 9mo
62 likes4 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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This Internet Archive version of A Daughter‘s a Daughter (a 1982 edition) has ads interspersed throughout, like a couple of other books I‘ve read via the same platform. I think this one is my favorite! 😆 Although I was tempted to post the cigarette ad (remember those?!) that proclaimed its brand had “only 8 mg tar”—lower than a whole list of 30+ other brands. 😳

#LMWBR #westmakittens

LeahBergen I read 3 of the above back in the day. 😂 10mo
tokorowilliamwallace I wish these mail order catalogs still existed (90s elem kid Millennial here), and at those pre-inflationary prices. But I'd also still want the catalogs.for the books of the time, not for current/contemporary releases. I love picking up books thrifting from the 70s and 80s; I just did again this weekend. 9mo
BarbaraJean @LeahBergen Please tell me one of the three was 9mo
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LeahBergen It was!! 🤣 The other two were A Stranger in the Mirror and Audrey Rose. 9mo
BarbaraJean @LeahBergen 😂😂Yessss! It seems there is a sequel to Audrey Rose 😆 9mo
LeahBergen I missed that one! 😆 9mo
43 likes6 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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“One of my pet theories... is that everybody should spend one month a year in the middle of a desert... No books. Books are a habit-forming drug. With enough to eat and drink, and nothing—absolutely nothing—to do, you'd have, at last, a fairly good chance to make acquaintance with yourself.“

Wow—such a clear callback to Absent in the Spring!

#LMWBR #westmakittens

Ruthiella Oh my yes! Interesting. 🤔 10mo
quietjenn Yes, I found that so striking. 9mo
tokorowilliamwallace Chasing the short-lived reading moods and high of browsing and acquiring books is the addiction. I even hoard piles of library books. 9mo
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CSeydel Can you imagine if Joan had been stuck there for a whole month? 9mo
batsy That's really interesting insight. Books can be both, imo—a habit-forming drug and a way to know oneself 😅 9mo
BarbaraJean @CSeydel I don‘t know if she‘d have made it! @batsy Same for me—books can be such a mirror into self-knowledge! But I see what she‘s getting at here: books are only a way to know oneself if you‘re open to/seeking that. Books can also be escapism, which is valid in its place but not necessarily conducive to reflection! 9mo
rubyslippersreads A month without books—even without the isolation of the desert, I think I‘d lose my mind. 9mo
34 likes7 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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“How unfair it was, reflected Dame Laura, that women in love looked their best and men in love looked like depressed sheep.”

😂😂

#LMWBR #westmakittens

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BarbaraJean
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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“One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the grave—our own self. Get on good terms with that companion—learn to live with yourself. That‘s the answer. It‘s not always easy.”

#LMWBR #westmakittens

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CSeydel
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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Happy new year, #westmakittens! Great discussion last month about the Rose and the Yew Tree. I appreciated reading everyone‘s responses even though I didn‘t always acknowledge them when I did not have anything more to add. Our book for January is A Daughter‘s a Daughter. I‘ll try to post some prompts for discussion on Jan 20!

Librarybelle Yay!! 10mo
BarbaraJean Looking forward to it! 10mo
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Ruthiella I‘m on it. I read somewhere that Christie‘s daughter was uncomfortable with this one because she felt it was about her (and maybe not flattering…we‘ll find out!) 10mo
CSeydel @Ruthiella oh no! I hope it isn‘t too close to the truth - it is definitely NOT flattering. The first time I read it, I was emotionally wrecked. I‘m kind of not looking forward to revisiting it, but I‘m also curious what will come across different this time. 10mo
willaful @Cseydel I also remember it as an upsetting read. And I didn't even have a daughter then. 👀 10mo
quietjenn @CSeydel @Ruthiella @willaful interesting! I shipped last month because December was busy and I'd read that one before, but looking forward to diving into this one, with all is unflattering bits 10mo
CSeydel @quietjenn Yay! There will certainly be a lot to discuss. 10mo
35 likes9 comments
blurb
guinsgirlreads
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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#ornamenthunt An ornament given to you by a family member. ❤️ #wintergames #slaybells (11)

MidnightBookGirl Aww! 11pts! (edited) 5y
16 likes1 comment
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TrishB
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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#friyayintro #shelfie
Don‘t really do selfies except with my daughter! So for a laugh for you Jessica here‘s what she posted on fb today 😁
Hope you‘re on the mend soon 💕

Cathythoughts Oh such beautiful pics 💕💜💜💜 6y
wordzie 6y
howjessicareads 👋🏻 6y
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saresmoore ♥️♥️♥️ 6y
squirrelbrain Bless her, what a lovely post! But, we need to see the Kesha video! 🤣 6y
Cathythoughts @squirrelbrain yes ! I agree , the Kesha video sounds great ... dancing is life ( an SK quote ) 😉💃🏾💃🏾 your daughter is beautiful Trish ♥️ (edited) 6y
LeahBergen Another vote for the Kesha video. 😆😆 6y
TrishB @Cathythoughts thank you 😘 6y
TrishB @squirrelbrain @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen 😁😁 believe me, no one needs to see that video!! 😱 6y
JennyM Aw...love this. ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
merelybookish Such a sweet post by your daughter! (And who wouldn't want to dance to Ke$ha? 😀) 6y
batsy Lovely post by your daughter ❤️❤️ I'm sad we don't get the dancing video though 😁 6y
erzascarletbookgasm ❤️ this. But miss the 💃 😁 6y
Reggie Love the post!!! Would love to see a TrishB dance!!! 6y
TrishB @JennyM @merelybookish @batsy @erzascarletbookgasm @Reggie 😘 said video is open to much bribery.... 6y
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jenreads7
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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Hello, Littens! Please welcome my daughter @cjbooklover to Litsy! She inherited my love of reading and is planning to jump in with both feet. She‘s going to start by joining us for the #HPBuddyRead ! #LitsyWelcomeWagon

JoScho Welcome to Litsy @cjbooklover I hope you love it here 💕 6y
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cjbooklover @JoScho me too! I think I will because I love books! 6y
Naj Welcome to Litsy! @cjbooklover 6y
julesG @cjbooklover Welcome to Litsy! 6y
BeansPage A very BIG welcome @cjbooklover and looking forward to seeing you for the buddy read 6y
cjbooklover @Naj thank you!! 6y
cjbooklover @TheReadingMermaid I am looking forward to it I love Harry Potter books. But Hermione might be my favorite character wonder why....🤔 6y
Naj Btw how does one join the buddy read. I want to participate. 6y
jenreads7 @Naj Just let @TheReadingMermaid know you want to join, and use the #HPBuddyRead hashtag to follow the discussion! We‘re doing one book a month in 2019 until we‘ve finished the series! (edited) 6y
Naj @jenniferajanes Thank you:) 6y
jenreads7 @Naj You‘re welcome! I look forward to seeing you there! 6y
Marilyncjackson Welcome to Litsy 6y
CouronneDhiver 👋🏽 6y
AlwaysForeverReading Welcome to Litsy!!! :) 6y
44 likes18 comments
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Judybskt
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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Can‘t wait to see this girl! She‘s headed home tomorrow. I haven‘t seen her in 3 months! She hasn‘t been home since February. Here she is in my favorite bookstore in her college town - Oxford, MS

@SquareBooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yay!! Beautiful! Where do you live? I‘m about 45 minutes from Oxford in Pontotoc ☺️ 6y
Judybskt @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Media, PA - she has a long drive ahead of her! 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Judybskt 🙏🏻 for safe travels! 6y
10 likes3 comments
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tif
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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This amazing young woman makes me happy. So proud to be her mum. Her resilience and humour are wonderful. #amys5kgiveaway congrats on the litsy milestone @MommyOfTwo!!

MommyOfTwo Very nice picture! 7y
34 likes1 comment
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Aloisi_tribe
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott
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My second oldest is home for the Thanksgiving weekend. Everything is a little righter in the world tonight. I just wish our oldest could be here too but Ohio to Texas is too far for a four day trip. She'll be here in about a month for Christmas though.

Tamra Sweet! 7y
shendrix413 Is that a UTSA t-shirt? 7y
Aloisi_tribe @shendrix413 Yes, she's a freshman there this year. 7y
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Kaye She‘s still so little. She looks like she‘s still 13. 😮 7y
Aloisi_tribe @Kaye I know. I didn't realize how tall the boys had gotten until I saw them next to her. Henry and Michael are giants next to her and Gabe is almost as tall as her. 7y
shendrix413 @Aloisi_tribe Awesome! I live in San Antonio! I'm in grad school at utsa! 7y
Aloisi_tribe How cool @shendrix413 What a small world! What are you studying? 7y
shendrix413 @Aloisi_tribe I am working on my 2nd masters degree in Social Work 7y
21 likes8 comments
blurb
ultrabookgeek
A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott

Written under Agatha Christie's pen name for several romances. This novel is about a widowed adult woman with a daughter who falls in love. I've been thinking about this book lately. I read it when I was about 15/16 and certain lines still resonate with me now.

jennirl i had no idea Christie wrote romances under a pen name! 8y
8 likes1 comment