My first thought when I started reading Imperfect Endings was that it would be a depressing story about a selfish woman planning to end her life and her loving daughter who she was being dragged into her mother's complicated life. How wrong I was! It was really about a daughter's struggle and a mother's suffering with her fair share of setbacks. The tension slowly faded as Carter spaced generous intervals of humor between the memoir's more serious points. I began to unearth and piece together the messages scattered throughout the book. Some events immediately struck me, while others took me a little longer to make the connection, but I eventually got the gist of them. Carter addressed relevant issues we face every day, the individuality of human beings and learning to accept what we cannot change. Many people seek the approval of others even when those people hurt them. There is no point in denying that sometimes we would do everything we could if we knew that it meant being accepted in society. It seems that our generations have been so caught up in trying to impress others that we have forgotten who has first priority: us. The relationships we have with others can determine what we want and we don't want others to see us, perhaps, for fear of being judged. In Imperfect Endings Carter talks about her past as a "good daughter" and her mother's desire for her to be thin. However, the role of the good daughter did not bring as much pride as one might assume; she was the source of conflict between her sisters because she didn't want to have to choose between the two of them. Zoe grew up and her mother started complaining about her weight. On a flight home after visiting her mother, she said... in the middle of a sheet of paper... that your mother wanted to get her into trouble. She said she believes it should be legal to commit assisted suicide, but the real reason she didn't want her mother to do it was that she felt she still needed her parents. However, Zoe eventually recovered and left a voicemail on her mother's house phone: "...I wanted you to know that I think you should feel free to do what you have to do and I feel ready to do it, well ." ...let go. And you should know. (Carter, 173). Imperfect Endings wasn't just a memoir; it was like a book of life lessons. It shed light on a situation I was somewhat aware of in a funny way. I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy memoirs, nonfiction, or books with dynamic characters. I realized that there is more to some books than meets the eye. Imperfect endings are a great example.