Praise
"Besides the fact that I thought it was so well crafted and had interesting characters, your book made me realize how stupid I am being with the few remaining years I have with [my parents]. Thank you so much for showing me a way out of my pettiness. The entire time I was reading about your enlightenment (I can't think of any other word) I kept think 'oh my God, what am I doing in my own relationship with my parents?'" New York, NY
"Sometimes books can really change your life. When I Married My Mother by Jo Maeder is one of those books ... What got me hooked was that Jo had a tenuous relationship with her mother. I have had one with my step-mother, too. She was the only mother I knew since my mother died during my birth. I could go on for hours how my step-mother was "not what I wanted in a mother," but I won't. What I did ask myself is: if Jo can heal a relationship with her mother, why can't I?
While I was reading the book, I brought it on a visit with my step-mother... As I remembered Jo's magic with her mother, something shifted in me, and I realized my old way of thinking needed to leave so my step-mom and I could create magic, too. It worked! ... As I left, she said to me as she hugged me tightly, 'I can't ever remember having such a good weekend with you as I did this time! I am going to miss you.' I almost fell over! I had never heard those words before.
I think everyone who has a 'mommy' issue could grow from Jo's wisdom. As she says, 'If you're not right with your mama, you probably won't be right with anyone.' I have thought about that one sentence for awhile now. It has brought me to action to change my ways; as really I am the only one who can change any situation I have problems with." Greensboro, NC
"... one of the most heartwarming stories I have ever read ... You will fall in love with this book. Mama Jo is a beautiful, eccentric human being. You will feel for daughter Jo, admire her for the choices she made and celebrate her in her happiness with her realization that she made the right choice. The joy you will feel from reading this book is unmeasurable." Jersey City, NJ
“Though I’m only 20 and hope I won’t have to care for my mother any time soon, When I Married My Mother opened up a wonderful dialog with my mom over what she wants me to keep when she’s gone and the stories that go along with those things. I loved this book.” Raleigh, NC
"I was lucky enough to meet 'The Rock and Roll Madame' in New York City in the late '80's. One of the few successful women in the competitive world of radio deejaying, Jo Maeder was tough and gorgeous and funny and hung out at the hottest clubs with the hippest people. But before all that, she was Mama Jo's daughter. And her return to that makes a great story. A wise, funny and honest memoir that doesn't simplify the complicated relationship between a daughter and her mother, but celebrates it. I couldn't put it down." Nell Scovell journalist (Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine) and TV writer/director
“Hilarious, heartbreaking, and real, When I Married My Mother captures the twists and turns of parenting one’s parents and shows the new relationships that can develop as a result. This is a sweet and sensitive book.” Nancy Giles, actress, writer, contributor CBS News Sunday Morning.
“The former New York City DJ has written a book that’s about far more than caring for an elderly parent. It’s about coming to terms with life’s regrets. Told with candor and humor, I was riveted. Jo Maeder is as dynamic a writer as she is a talk show guest.” Michael Harrison, publisher TALKERS magazine
“This account of the universally sad experience of slowly losing a parent is touching and often humorous, in no small part because Maeder understands the importance of telling good stories.” Newark Star-Ledger
“A wonderful, witty, happy-and-sad, very touching memoir…Read this book if you have an aging parent. Read this book if you’ve cared for an aging parent or other elderly person. Read this book if you’ve lost your parents. It is funny and thought-provoking. Read this book.”Roxboro Courier-Times
“The book haunted me, but not in a bad way. Instead, long after I closed the cover, I pictured the moments [Maeder] shared so vividly.”Working Mother
“Jo Maeder exhibits the sense of humor that makes her a live wire in the quick thinking world of personality radio, but also the better selves we all hope we embody...Maeder pitches a tent we can all find solace, acceptance and encouragement under. A genius read, but a life-affirming story.” The Yummy List
“Maeder brings sharp wit and a reporter’s investigative skills to her own experience of the growing trend of intergenerational households.”St. Petersburg Times
“A witty and wily reframing of [the] age-old conflict…Maeder is insightful and sarcastic, humorous and heartfelt.” New Orleans Times-Picayune
“A hilarious, irreverent, and always touching account of how Maeder went from dreading caring for ‘Mama Jo’ to cherishing every minute with her. This generous gift of a book explores the mystery of how doing the right thing can, in the end, become infinitely more.” Tommy Hays, author of The Pleasure Was Mine
“Joining the league of classic mother-daughter memoirs, Jo Maeder’s book depicts this ancient tug of war with wit, candor, and charm . . . two stubborn spirits come together in an almost shocking burst of love. Damn you, Jo Maeder, for making me unable to put this down, and for making me cry.” Sarah Kernochan, screenwriter and filmmaker
“Imagine Bridget Jones grown up, with a conscience. All in all, a delightful read, one sure to make you hug your mother.” Rebecca Johnson, author of And Sometimes Why
“Jo Maeder’s tender-hearted, funny memoir is a gift. Maeder expertly writes about the downs and ups of life with an aging parent—and Mama Jo is like no one you've met—a little Ruth Gordon, a little Collyer Brothers. This inspiring, warm, and wonderfully told love story is for absolutely everyone.” Julie Klam, author of Please Excuse My Daughter
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