1. Mother's role in our "self" development --
The research : bonds and brains --
Something's wrong with Mom --
When Mom is mean, or just doesn't care --
Why doesn't anybody help? --
Making the best of things --
Mom goes to the hospital --
Daughters go out into the world --
Keeping family secrets --
Suicide threats and more --
Psychiatric treatment and hospitals --
What to think? What to feel? --
Going out into the world --
Staying connected with home --
Beginning her own family --
Fallout and resilience --
Mothers' lives, continued --
Getting along, or not - Elderly mothers --
Mothers as grandmothers --
Hospitals and psychiatric treatment --
Reflections about fathers --
Some final reflections on mothers' lives --
The best and worst of being a "daughter of madness" --
8. What do we need to learn? --
Appendix : short biographies of women interviewed --
About the series editor and advisers.