Includes bibliographical references (p. 283-290) and index

Here, at last, is the groundbreaking blueprint for creating powerful relationships between mothers and daughters. History-making research has determined that adolescence is a time of crisis for girls in this country, triggering a dramatic decline of self-esteem, abandoned potential, problems with body image and sexuality, and loss of academic confidence. Beginning at ages nine and ten, our daughters are being silenced by cultural messages that ask them to become less of who they are and more of who society expects "good girls" to be in order to "fit in."

For generations, women have unwittingly betrayed those they were trying to protect - their daughters - as they have handed down the same self-negating skills they themselves were taught to get along in our patriarchal society. In doing so, mothers were being asked to bear society's messages - messages they don't agree with themselves. How many women have tried to give their daughters loving advice, only to find they sound exactly like their mothers?

Creating a new alliance of mothers and daughters is essential to preserving young girls' self-esteem and reclaiming the lost voices of generations of women. Without blaming mothers or attempting to define a recipe for perfect mothering, the authors show how to transform what has been experienced as a cycle of betrayal into a powerful catalyst for change. By connecting personal with political change, this courageous book advocates changing the world for women by making peace with our mothers and joining with others to create a safe and empowering world for our daughters

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