{"product_id":"the-performance-of-motherhood-serene-wales-9798250719117","title":"The Performance of Motherhood: What Happens When Love Is Only an Act","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eShe built a beautiful life.\u003cbr\u003eShe just didn't know how to live inside it.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the outside, her family looks perfect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA respected marriage.\u003cbr\u003eA carefully curated home.\u003cbr\u003eA daughter who excels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe has provided everything a child could need - security, education, opportunity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut love is not measured in appearances.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen her teenage daughter writes a school essay describing \"home\" as a place that feels distant, the carefully constructed image begins to fracture. For the first time, she is forced to confront a truth she has spent her life avoiding: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe learned how to survive.\u003cbr\u003eShe learned how to impress.\u003cbr\u003eBut she never learned how to stay.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs old generational wounds resurface and her daughter begins to pull away, she must decide whether to defend the life she built - or risk vulnerability for the chance to rebuild what matters most.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Performance of Motherhood\u003c\/b\u003e is a tender, psychologically rich story about emotional inheritance, quiet regret, and the courage it takes to love differently than you were loved.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers of: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003ewomen's literary fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003emother-daughter relationship novels\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003egenerational trauma and healing stories\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eemotionally introspective family dramas\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is not a story about a \"bad\" mother.\u003cbr\u003eIt is a story about awareness.\u003cbr\u003eAbout interruption.\u003cbr\u003eAbout learning a new language of love - even late in life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause love is not applause.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd sometimes, it is never too late to begin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Serene Wales\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798250719117\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/05\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 178\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.54lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.38d","brand":"Serene Wales","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48997518278911,"sku":"9798250719117","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-performance-of-motherhood-serene-wales-9798250719117","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}