Momma and the Meaning of Life

In Momma and the Meaning of Life, renowned psychiatrist and author Irvin D. Yalom blends personal narrative with clinical narrative in six captivating stories of psychotherapy. The book opens with a haunting title story where Yalom dreams of his deceased mother—a woman with whom he had a complex and difficult relationship—prompting a deep reflection on parent-child dynamics and the lifelong quest for approval and meaning.

The remaining tales illuminate the therapeutic process through memorable patients, including a woman confronting terminal cancer and a fellow therapist facing her own mortality. With characteristic candor and narrative brilliance, Yalom investigates the ultimate existential concerns: death, freedom, isolation, and the fundamental human struggle to find purpose.

Because it offers deeply moving, highly relatable stories that shed light on family dynamics, grief, and the human search for identity and purpose.

For psychotherapy practitioners, psychology students, lovers of narrative non-fiction, and anyone reflecting on family relationships and personal loss.