The Distance Between

by Eliza Osborne

Soho Press, 212 pp., $24

Mattie Welch begins her trip home after receiving a call that her parents have been in an accident and that her mother has died. Osborne’s stream-of-consciousness narrative allows the reader inside Mattie’s thoughts about her mother and her childhood as she travels home. Along the way, Mattie encounters three mothers and their daughters. By watching their interactions, Mattie is able to gain a better understanding of both her own mother and their distant and troubled relationship. Throughout most of the book, Mattie comes across as whiny and self-centered. You want to tell her to get over it already. But after meeting the women on her trip she begins to realize that she is not alone in her feelings about her mother. It’s just that other women have dealt with their issues and moved on.

This article appears in March 3 • 2000.

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