Brilliantly original novelist and cultural critic Lynne Tillman became one of nearly 53 million Americans who care for a sick family member when her mother developed an unusual and little understood condition called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. With her notoriously exquisite writing style, Tillman describes, without flinching, the unexpected, heartbreaking, and frustrating years of caring for a sick parent. Mothercare is both a cautionary tale and sympathetic guidance for anyone who suddenly becomes a caregiver, responsible for the life of another - a parent, loved or not, or a friend.