How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir

Molly Jong-Fast is the only child of writer Erica Jong, whose 1970s book Fear of Flying became a landmark of second-wave feminism. Growing up, Jong-Fast yearned for connection with her mother, who seemed distant and perpetually unavailable. In 2023, when Erica was diagnosed with dementia, Jong-Fast was simultaneously facing her husband's diagnosis of a rare cancer, marking a transformative year. How to Lose Your Mother examines the intense relationship between mother and daughter, Jong-Fast's sometimes chaotic upbringing with a fame-focused parent, and the upheavals that test adult resilience. The memoir balances acceptance with anger, humor with emotion, exploring both the universal experience of loss and the particular story of a literary family. Jong-Fast is a political writer and podcaster.