My Mother's Keeper
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| Author | B. D. Hyman |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Published | 1985 |
| Publisher | William Morrow and Company |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type |
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| ISBN | 978-0688047986 |
My Mother's Keeper is a 1985 memoir by B. D. Hyman,[1] the daughter of actress Bette Davis, in which she alleges that Davis was a bullying, alcoholic mother.
My Mother's Keeper is often compared to the 1978 book Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford, the daughter of Bette's off-screen rival, Joan Crawford. Published after Crawford's book, My Mother's Keeper depicts Davis as a self-centered, emotionally manipulative alcoholic. Unlike Crawford, Hyman does not accuse her mother of any physical abuse. Indeed, she claims Davis was a battered wife and says Davis's husband, Gary Merrill, was a violent alcoholic. Unlike Crawford's book, which was published after the death of its subject, Hyman's book and a sequel titled Narrow Is the Way were published during Davis's lifetime.