Have Mother, Will Travel: A Mother and Daughter Discover Themselves, Each Other, and the World

A mother, a daughter, and a life-changing adventure around the world . . . Their bestselling memoir, Come Back, moved and inspired readers with the story of Mia Fontaine's harrowing drug addiction and her mother, Claire's, desperate and ultimately successful attempts to save her. Now it's a decade later and Claire and Mia each face a defining moment in her life, and a mother-daughter relationship that has frayed around the edges. At fifty-one, Claire's shed her identity as Mia's savior but realizes that, oops, she forgot to plan for life after motherhood; Mia, twenty-five and eager to step outside her role as recovery's poster child, finds adult life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Determined to transform themselves and their relationship once again, the pair sets off on a five-month around-the-world adventure. What awaits them is an extraordinary, often hilarious journey through twenty cities and twelve countries—one that includes mishaps, mayhem, and unexpected joys, from a passport-eating elephant to a calamitous camel ride around the Pyramids—and finally making peace with their tumultuous past in the lavender fields of France, where they live for the last four months of the trip. Seeing how self-possessed and community-minded twentysomethings are in other countries broadens Mia's perspective, helping her grow, and grow up. Claire uses the trip to examine her broken relationship with her own mother, a Holocaust survivor, and to create a vision for her second act. Watching her mom assess half a century of life, Mia comes to know her as Claire has always known Mia—as all mothers know their daughters—better than anyone else, and often better than themselves. Wiser for what they've learned from women in other cultures, and from each other, they return with a deepened sense of who they are and where they want to go—and with each embracing the mature friendship they've discovered and the profound love they share. Alternating between Claire and Mia's compelling and distinct voices, Have Mother, Will Travel is a testament to the power and beauty of the mother-daughter relationship, one that illuminates possibilities for our own lives. Review“Have Mother, Will Travel is filled with what I would have given anything to experience and treasure with my own mother—the inner workings of our hearts and thoughts. I love these women!” (Leah Komaiko, author of Am I Old Yet? )“A beautiful, funny, and oh-so-representative peek into how complicated—and wonderful—a mother-daughter relationship can be…. I could feel, as a mother and a daughter, every struggle and bump in the road…the love between a mother and daughter, while not always sunshine and daisies, will never end.” (Ree Drummond, author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks )“Finally, a book that celebrates the complexities of the mother-daughter bond with humor and depth. Both authors come to terms with who they are as women—together and apart—as they traverse twenty countries. Their relationship is an inspiration; you’ll want to travel every step of the journey with them.” (Maureen Murdock, author of The Heroine's Journey and Unreliable Truth )“Nobody writes with as much honesty, bravery, and humor as Claire and Mia Fontaine when it comes to the dynamic of the complex, baffling, nurturing, infuriating, comforting labyrinth known as the mother/daughter relationship. No matter how far we travel or what we do, we will always be one.” (Tracey Jackson, author of Between a Rock and a Hot Place: Why Fifty Is Not the New Thirty )“An extremely insightful and inspiring look at how we relate, with our loved ones, with ourselves, and the world….Their courage in examining themselves, and their relationship, reminds us how important it is to stay mindful and proactive in all of our relationships, especially with our family.” (Janice Croze, founder, 5minutesformom.com )“As a mother of young daughters, I finished this book with such anticipation for the future, inspired by the relationship that Claire and Mia have formed through challenges and triumphs…. I found myself falling deeper in love with the soul–transforming journey of both loving a mother and raising a child.” (Kelle Hampton, author of Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected )“If you like Eat Pray Love then check out Have Mother, Will Travel...Written in alternating voices, the book humorously documents the power of travel to test and deepen relationships.” (National Geographic Traveler )“Frequently hilarious and often sobering … poignant and affecting.” (BookPage.com )“‘Have Mother, Will Travel,’ is a must-read for every woman (or man, for that matter). It’s charming and enlightening, and will help any reader in their own understanding of this world and the relationships that it contains.” (Spencer Daily Reporter ) About the AuthorClaire Fontaine and Mia Fontaine are the coauthors of the bestselling memoir Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back. A former screenwriter, Claire divides her time between the United States and Europe, where she is researching a historical novel and doing a comparative analysis of les Éclairs au chocolat de Paris. She is also a certified relationship coach and a certified life coach. A popular motivational speaker, Mia has written for the New York Times, blogs for Ms. Magazine, and is currently at work on a narrative nonfiction book that combines four of her greatest interests: travel, human behavior, history, and culture. She lives in New York City.