In Family Mirrors: What Our Children's Lives Reveal About Ourselves Elizabeth Fishel explores the process whereby mothers and fathers see in the lives of their offspring bits and pieces of their own unresolved hopes, fears, dreams, and anxieties. In addition, every parent is haunted by intergenerational burdens and the dynamics operative in his or her family-of-origin.

Fishel, the author of Sisters and The Men in Our Lives, is a gifted generalist who can draw together insights from a variety of perspectives. Here she uses data from 200 interviews, her own experiences, psychological literature, poetry, and fiction to shed light on parental development. She sums up the key points in family systems psychology and then goes on to outline four parenting styles —: rebels, traditionalists, compensators, and synthesizers.

Parents will want to spend some time mulling over the chapters on three of the thorniest family problems: separation and closeness, anger and limit setting, and success and self-esteem. Family Mirrors is highly recommended.