Debra Oswald’s ambitious new novel tackles an entire century of change

Debra Oswald’s ambitious new novel tackles an entire century of change

Drawing inspiration from her mother’s life story, Oswald’s book is a sprawling whole-of-life tale.

REVIEW: Mothers & Other Fictional Characters

Reviewed by Vicki MaykSome of the best nonfiction writing reveals the universal while telling a personal story. In Nicole Graev Lipson’s remarkable debut collection, Mothers and Other Fictional Characters: A Memoir In Essays (Chronicle Prism, 2025), the writer brilliantly mines stories from her own life to reveal the truth, pain, and beauty that mark the experiences all women share in their roles as wives/partners, lovers, mothers, and friends. …