“Women as mothers grapple with corresponding contradictions. The adoration they feel for their grown daughters, mixed with the sense of responsibility for their well-being, can be overwhelming, matched only by the hurt they feel when their attempts to help or just stay connected are rebuffed or even excoriated as criticism or devilish interference.”

American author and linguist

Deborah Tannen is an American author and linguist, associated with Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She is best known for You Just Don't Understand, and has 105 quotes on the site. She has also served as a McGraw Distinguished Lecturer at Princeton University. Her work and academic roles place her in the study of language and communication, especially the ways people understand one another.