Mother to mother

The first chapter of Mother to Mother is titled "Mandisa's lament," and is written completely in italics. This style is used throughout the novel to distinguish text in which Mandisa directly addresses the other mother. A lament is a passionate expression of one's grief, and through hers, Mandisa allows us to examine, first, her deep emotional response to the murder. This offers a strong contrast to the author's preface, which was rooted in fact. "My son killed your daughter," she opens, "People look at me as though I did it" (5). Mandisa is at once as implicated in the murder as Amy and her son, as much as it happened to them, it happens to her. She is defensive: "As though I could make this child do anything" (5).