Next Time You Come Home

In NEXT TIME YOU COME HOME, Lisa Dordal distills one hundred eighty letters she received from her mother over a seventeen-year period into short, meditative entries that reflect upon motherhood, marriage, grief, the beauty of the natural world, same-sex relationships, and the passage of time. “ A newly recovered trove of letters is the source material for Next Time You Come Home, but the collection’ s true genius lies in the communion of mother and daughter across time. In distilling her late mother’ s letters to their loving essence, Lisa Dordal focuses not on the “ nighttime mother” who drank until her speech was slurred but on the vibrant, nurturing “ daytime mother” who taught her how to love the world. This is a radical compassion that heals, offering understanding without excuses or justifications, love without benchmarks or conditions. From its haunting title onward, Next Time You Come Home is an utter original.” – Margaret Renkl