In Did I Ever Tell You?, a deeply affecting memoir of her mother's legacy of love, debut author and playwright Genevieve Kingston writes of growing up nurtured by the messages her mother left for her children to open on significant occasions throughout their lives.
Kingston's mother, Kristina Mailliard, died in 2001, nearly nine years after her cancer diagnosis and days before Kingston's 12th birthday. Kingston recalls resentfully watching her mother craft the collection of boxes and cards, their existence symbolizing "so many years stretching ahead without her." At every birthday through her 30th, and at graduations and other milestones, Kingston savored the mementos her mother so carefully wrapped: her mother's birthstone ring, a string of pearls, a keychain to commemorate getting her driver's license. Her mother also included notes about the objects and words of love and advice, such as "Love is stronger than death. I will always be part of you" and "wear your seatbelt and drive with caution."
Kingston includes candid stories of the joys and sorrows she shared with her sometimes challenging father, her devoted older brother, and a group of supportive, lifelong friends. As she grew older, she sought insight into her mother. She learned that Mailliard had anticipated this, too, and encouraged acquaintances to welcome her daughter's questions. A heartfelt memoir of navigating life in the wake of loss and a poignant homage to a mother and the love she left behind, Did I Ever Tell You? is unforgettable. --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.