The Healing Journey

May 9, 2025

In the introduction to her book “The Right Side of Forty: Celebrating Timeless Women,” author Patricia Martin of Torrington reminisces about her relationship with her late mother. One editor called Patricia’s work “a love letter to her mother.” It is a coffee table book, a collaboration with a photographer, and she got to interview more than 100 women, 55 of whom made it into the book with their portraits and a profile. Martin wrote:

“I was crushed when my mother died after a brief but valiant battle with cancer — I was a rebellious 20-year-old and she was just 53. For a petite, infuriating strict Irish Catholic mom, I thought she was kind of cute and awfully smart, with a keen sense of humor. My older brother’s friends would often come to visit her after he was drafted into the Army, and I would tease her and call her ‘Mrs. Robinson.’ Although she protested, I could tell she was not altogether displeased by the notion that younger guys might find her attractive and interesting in her own right.

“During our tumultuous relationship, my mother and I had been through many passionate battles of the will, soulful late-night talks, and hysterically funny escapades. Even though I had a strong independent streak and yearned to be out from under her thumb, we had a fiercely loving bond that was tight and true. We kept each other on our toes, and I have come to realize that I am more like her than either one of us would probably ever have wanted to admit. I wish I could know her now, as a mature adult. I’d like to think we’d acknowledge and appreciate each other as women on ‘The Right Side of Forty.’”
©Patricia Martin

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