▁A ▁Mem oir ▁of ▁the ▁Mother ▁I ▁Never ▁K new ▁and ▁of ▁My ▁D augh ter , ▁Court ney ▁Love , ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁Double day . ▁Love ' s ▁agent ▁called ▁the ▁book ▁a ▁work ▁of ▁" v icious ▁and ▁gre edy ▁fiction ", ▁and ▁said , ▁" We ▁find ▁it ▁aston ishing ▁that ▁any ▁mother ▁should ▁write ▁such ▁a ▁book . ▁This ▁is ▁especially ▁true ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁M s ▁Car roll , ▁who ▁abandoned ▁her ▁daughter ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁seven - year - old ▁and ▁whom ▁M s ▁Love ▁thus ▁bare ly ▁knows ▁at ▁all ." ▁L inda ▁Car roll , ▁however , ▁cont ends ▁in ▁her ▁mem oir ▁that ▁she ▁left ▁Court ney ▁with ▁a ▁friend ▁for ▁just ▁two ▁months ▁at ▁age ▁nine ▁while ▁she ▁was ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁home ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁that ▁Court ney ▁remained ▁with ▁her ▁until ▁she ▁em an cip ated ▁herself ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 6 . ▁L inda ▁Car roll ▁has ▁not ▁spoken ▁to ▁her ▁daughter ▁in ▁years ▁and ▁remains ▁est r anged . ▁ ▁" F ar ▁from ▁a ▁celebr ity ▁mem oir , ▁Her ▁Mother ' s ▁D augh ter ," ▁Book list , ▁the ▁review ▁journal ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Library ▁Association ▁wrote , ▁" Des p ite ▁the ▁suggest ive ▁sub title , ▁Car roll ' s ▁mem oir ▁is ▁far ▁less ▁tell - all ▁than ▁it ▁is ▁her ▁personal ▁re collections ▁of ▁growing ▁up ▁feeling ▁al ien ated ▁from ▁her ▁adopt ive ▁family , ▁her ▁pe