This is Your Mother

A Memoir

By: Erika J. Simpson

Narrated by: Erika J. Simpson

Named a Best Memoir of 2025 (So Far) by BookPage and Real Simple * “A beautiful story about an extraordinary mother’s gift of love and hope.” —Jeannette Walls, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle * “Candid...Heartbreaking...Illuminating.” —Oprah Daily

From “a writer who’s absolutely going places” (Roxane Gay), a “bewitching...innovative” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) debut memoir about a mother-daughter relationship across cycles of poverty, separation, and illness, exploring how we forge identity in the face of imminent loss.

When Erika Simpson was growing up, her mother loomed large, almost biblical in her life. A daughter of sharecroppers, middle child of ten, her origin story served as a Genesis. Her departure from home and a cheating husband, pursuing higher education along the way a kind of Exodus. Her rules for survival, often repeated like the Ten Commandments, guided Erika’s own journey into adulthood. And the most important rule? Throughout her life, Sallie Carol preached the power of a testimony—which often proved useful in talking her way out of a bind with bill collectors.

But where does a mother’s story end and a daughter’s begin? In this brave, illuminating memoir, Erika offers a joint recollection of their lives as they navigate the realities of destitution often left undiscussed. Her mother’s uncanny ability to endure Job-like trials and manifest New Testament–style miracles made her seem invincible. But while our parents may start out as gods in our lives, through her mother’s final months and fifth battle with cancer, Erika captures the moment you realize they are just people.

This gorgeously rendered story of a mother’s life through her daughter’s eyes weaves together a dual timeline, pulling inspiration from both scripture and pop culture as Erika moves through grief to a place of clarity where she can see who she is without her mom—and because of her.

Beautifully written and read

Anything in a review will sound cliched and corny, but this was absolutely beautiful.

Anyone who grew up with mentally ill parents or in poverty will recognize themselves and it can be painful.

A Powerful Debut!

A powerful memoir by a talented young writer! This is Your Mother is equal parts frank and funny, while simultaneously being gutting and gripping. Simpson employs some especially clever turns of phrase throughout, which elevates her vignettes. I couldn't stop listening and can't wait to see what she does next!

Wow!

Sometimes when you read a book, you discover a line that is so beautiful and profound, it feels like the entire book was written so the author could make that one point. With This is Your Mother, Simpson somehow achieves that with every chapter!

This is definitely a must-read and must-listen!

Beautifully written.

Her words flowed so well. There were times I caught myself shaking my head and saying “yup” because there were many things that mirrored my life such as a mother with cancer at age 37 who refused to die even though she was told she would not make it to 40! She had no time for that! She lived in and out of remission till she was 70 years old. She wrote this with such truth

Outstanding!

This incredible memoir having been read by the author only lifted the beautiful story to greater heights!

Give this a listen and you can thank me later!

I look forward to more stories to come from THE Erika J. Simpson.

Bravo and thank you for having the courage to share your story.