My Mother's Daughter

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Shortlisted for the 2022 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize
A CBC Best Canadian Nonfiction Book of 2021


“[A] beautifully written and compelling memoir.” —Toronto Star

“So captivating is the story of Cathy Felicien Browne’s life . . . that by the time her daughter Perdita runs her first sprint halfway through the book, you might have forgotten all about the fact that the author is former World Champion hurdler Perdita Felicien. . . . In this inspiring memoir, Felicien . . . recounts the despair and the triumphs like a champion.” —The Globe and Mail

“Perdita Felicien takes on the ambitious feat of chronicling an intergenerational story of resilience and succeeds with unflinching clarity. Her controlled and poised prose details raw and often messy emotions with intelligence and compassion, while the fierce honesty with which she writes emphasizes the magnitude of maternal love and the bonds of family. A memoir with a commanding voice, My Mother’s Daughter is a love letter to mother-daughter relationships.” —Zalika Reid-Benta, Giller Prize-nominated author of Frying Plantain

“We are not defined by when we fall; rather, it’s the journey of where we come from that holds the deepest definition of self. Perdita Felicien is so much more than a champion athlete. This phenomenal, human story shows a Canada many people will never know, the power of a mother’s love for her daughter, and the indefatigable resilience in the face of so much struggle. I could not put this book down.” —Clara Hughes, six-time Olympic medalist and author of Open Heart, Open Mind

“A book about the most important team any of us plays on—our family—by one of the greatest athletes Canada has ever produced. Perdita Felicien reminds us that the accomplishments you see out on the track, field or rink are the result not just of talent and practice, but of someone’s love.” —Cathal Kelly, author of Boy Wonders ​
 
“Perdita Felicien first stole our hearts as a world champion, but now she takes us behind the scenes to the heartache of her tumultuous childhood and to the grit she needed to triumph over adversity. Her story is for everyone who dreams big. This book made me laugh and cry and cheer out loud. It’s a winner—like Perdita herself.” —Sally Armstrong, journalist