Edelman’s Reception

Edelman’s Reception

As Edelman’s work was a foundation of my research, her credibility and reception are of utmost concern. Edelman’s work was interwoven into a majority of my other sources, such as Pill and Zabin’s observational study (1997). Additionally, Edelman’s work gives women “insight” on why they feel the way they do and “advice for overcoming” the difficulties they face (Nelson, 1994, p.127). In a review from Library Journal, Edelman’s work was referred to as “pioneering” (Ballard, 2006, p. 95) indicating her decision to research a group of women who, prior to her work, had been glossed over. She embarked on a research journey that gave motherless daughters a deeper understanding of a real problem that had previously been ignored.  Perhaps a statement in Pill and Zabin’s work, which indicates that the term “motherless daughters” is not entirely true, has some merit. When a mother dies, the relationship between the daughter and the mother does not end. Its continual impact, the pain and longing of the loss, stay with the daughter. A motherless daughter is never truly motherless; she is merely physically separated from her mother. While the epithet still clearly identifies this group and provides a way for these women to connect, Pill and Zabin have a point about the continual impact. This slight critique is the only contesting factor for Edelman’s work.

Additional Resources

The following is a link to Edelman’s personal website.

http://hopeedelman.com/