The Unmothered Mother

In this episode, the Sugars take a question from the mother of young twins. Her own mother left when she was two years old, and her stepmother was a controlling and manipulative presence in her life. The letter writer is afraid that these toxic experiences being mothered make her destined to fail as a mother.

The Sugars are joined by the writer Rene Denfeld, who raised three children amid the same fears.

Show notes

[0:16] “I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl,” Nina Simone, 1967.

[11:07] Rene Denfeld, author page.

[26:21] "Torch," Cheryl Strayed, 2006.

[26:23] "Wild," Cheryl Strayed, 2012.

[26:32] "The Good Mother," Sue Miller, 1986.

[27:03] "We Are Fine," Sharon Van Etten, "Tramp," 2012.

Full episodes of Dear Sugar Radio are released weekly.