Unmothered

In her memoir Unmothered, popular blogger and speaker Phylis Mantelli takes the reader on her roller-coaster journey of life with her alcoholic and narcissistic mother.

Phylis and her two siblings never know what to expect from their mom. The mom who bakes homemade chocolate chip cookies with hugs and smiles, or a raging, screaming mother who mocks and belittles them. The mom who cooks dinner, says a Hail Mary, and promises she’ll do better, or the drunk mother who brings men home from bars and leads them to her daughters’ room to show them off. Phylis just wants a mom who loves her, who wants the best for her, but that mom rarely makes an appearance.

Though it breaks her heart to leave her baby sister behind, Phylis moves out of her mother’s house as soon as she’s able, hoping one day she’ll find the family of her dreams. What she discovers are more nightmares. Through it all, God never stops his pursuit of Phylis, and though she’d like nothing more than to turn her back on her mother, every time her mom reaches out, Phylis takes her hand. By God’s grace, Phylis eventually breaks through the pain and replaces it with a heart of a daughter who loves her mom unconditionally. Unmothered is a surprising memoir that offers hope and encouragement to those struggling with dysfunctional family relationships.