Wild Game

A daughter's tale of living in the thrall of her magnetic, complicated mother, and the chilling consequences of her complicity

Every time I fail to become more like my mother, I become more like me.

On a hot August night on Cape Cod, when Adrienne was 14, her mother Malabar woke her at midnight with five simple words that would set the course of both of their lives for years to come: Ben Souther just kissed me.

Adrienne instantly became her mother’s confidante and helpmate, blossoming in the sudden light of her attention; from then on, Malabar came to rely on her daughter to help orchestrate what would become an epic affair with her husband’s closest friend. The affair would have calamitous consequences for everyone involved, impacting Adrienne’s life in profound ways, driving her into a doomed marriage of her own, and then into a deep depression. Only years later will she find the strength to embrace her life -- and her mother -- on her own terms.

This is a book about how the people close to us can break our hearts simply because they have access to them. It's about the lies we tell in order to justify the choices we make. It’s about mothers and daughters and the nature of family. And ultimately, it's a story of resilience, a reminder that we need not be the parents our parents were to us; that moving forward is possible.

Povestea unei fiice despre existenta mamei sale magnetice si complicate si consecintele ingrozitoare ale complicitatii ei De fiecare data cand nu reusesc sa devin mai mult ca mama mea, devin mai mult ca mine. Intr-o noapte fierbinte de august pe Cape Cod, cand Adrienne avea 14 ani, mama ei Malabar a trezit-o la miezul noptii cu cinci cuvinte simple care le-ar fi stabilit cursul ambelor vieti in urmatorii ani: Ben Souther tocmai m-a sarutat. atentia ei; de atunci, Malabar a ajuns sa se bazeze pe fiica ei pentru a ajuta la orchestrarea a ceea ce avea sa devina o aventura epica cu cel mai apropiat prieten al sotului ei.