Someone not really her mother

the long version

"As Hannah's French girlhood comes to the foreground of her consciousness, she begins to relive her rich experiences during World War II. The passions and fear she felt as a young woman running from the Nazi invasion become increasingly more real to her than her present-day American life. Her daughter, Miranda, tries to keep her tied to reality, and yet also finds herself pulled into Hannah's unresolved past. Miranda's daughters, at once more removed and more fascinated with their grandmother, confront her condition in their own ways. Fiona, strong and consumed with being a new mother, acts as a balance to her sister Ida, an impassioned poet whose impulsive nature leads her to move to France, intent on rediscovering the love and advenutre that has so permeated her grandmother's life. As the revelation of Hannah's memories uncovers a woman they can only imagine, each must ask how well you can know the inner life of another person, even a person you cherish."--BOOK JACKET.