This book is borne of a lovely concept, and it is clear that Mr. Schwalbe truly loved his most unusual and admirable mother. Perhaps he loved her too much to write an interesting book about her. She is revealed as almost Christ-like, but decidedly not human, in her generosity, forbearance and wisdom. The author revealed nothing that made his mother's story really interesting. I don't doubt that there is an interesting story to be told. Marianne Schwalbe's life was one well-lived and I want to hear more about it at some point, but this telling reveals only the surface and often feels inauthentic. The discussion of the books read is so brief it is not worth talking about that aspect of the book. I gave 2 stars because I am not made of stone. I appreciate a loving portrait of a man's mother and understand his grief, but at the end of the day I thought of this book what Willoughby thought of Colonel Brandon (Sense and Sensibility) it is the sort of book "everybody speaks well of and nobody cares about; whom all are delighted to see and nobody remembers to talk to." In other words, honorable, decent, boring.