A return to Iowa for her sister's funeral forces Jane Bertram to confront long-buried memories and uncomfortable truths. Is she more like her mother than she wants to admit? Despite her best intentions, has she made the same mistakes? Surprised by her aging mother's whispered expression of regret, Jane weighs the possibility of reconciliation. Is there a path forward? Could Jane's struggle to find inner peace ultimately depend on forgiving her mother? And herself? Is a transformation from decades of resentment to sincere appreciation possible?

The Perfect Mother is the third novel of a four-book series that began with Blackbird and My Mother's Daughter. The quartet explores the taboos, history, and texture of one woman's struggles during a profoundly transformative period of the 20th century.