Susan Rieger’s third novel, Like Mother, Like Mother, is an intricate tapestry of family dynamics, ambition, and the weight of untold stories that shape generations. Following her previous works The Divorce Papers and The Heirs, Rieger delivers her most accomplished and emotionally resonant novel to date, though it occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own complexity. Plot and Narrative Structure Set primarily in Detroit and Washington D.C., the novel spans from 1960 to 2024, following three generations of women bound by blood but separated by circumstance and choice. The story begins with two-year-old Lila Pereira’s mother being committed to an asylum by her abusive father, Aldo. This foundational trauma reverberates through decades as Lila rises to become the executive editor of The Washington Globe, leaving her own maternal duties largely to her husband Joe. The narrative is divided into three parts, each focusing on a different woman: Lila’s ascent in journalism and complex relationship with motherhood Grace’s journey to understand her mother and family history The revelation of Zelda’s fate and its impact on …