Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain (1941)

James M. Cain is known primarily for his crime novels, particularly for Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. Although no murder occurs in Mildred Pierce, the only crimes being a bit of blackmail and a huge dose of psychological abuse, the cast of characters does include a near-sociopath.

The mother, Mildred Pierce, throw her philandering husband out of the house during the Depression and has to find some way to support herself and her two daughters. She is a good homemaker and a great cook, but without work experience the only job she can find is that of a waitress in a hash house. She tries to keep her new occupation a secret, primarily because her pre-teen daughter Veda has a seriously inflated idea of herself as being someone special who is above her middle class neighbors and Mildred does not want to wound her pride. When Veda finds out, Mildred is crushed and vows to become something more so that Veda can be proud of her.

Fast forward: Mildred finds success, becoming the owner of three restaurants. Is Veda pacified? Of course not.

Mildred and Veda would be right at home on a Dr. Phil show today -- the selfish, self-entitled daughter who feels superior to everyone and the much abused but enabling mother who helped create the monster. To his credit, Cain never explicates the situation outright but just lets the story unfold and the reader understand the implications for himself. His writing is terse and to the point and perfect for the story content. His portrayal of family dynamics is way ahead of his time. Dr. Phil would be proud.

Just a note about the film treatments of the novel: the fairly recent HBO mini series (available on Amazon Prime) follows the book very closely but comes across pretty flat and emotionless. The 1945 movie, starring Joan Crawford as Mildred and Ann Blyth as Veda, tacks on an entirely new ending, but the performances are outstanding and the whole tone is appropriately melodramatic. The slapping scene alone would make the movie worth watching.

This is a quick one-day read that is entirely satisfying.