The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

The Almost Moon by Alic Sebold tells the story of a middle-aged woman named Helen who murders her very elderly mother. For the rest of the novel, Helen tells stories she remembers from her childhood regarding her mother. Throughout the entire book the nature of the relationship between mother and daughter is questioned, and even more, the nature of love between family members. Logically, Helen has no reason to love her negligent, often selfish mother. Though later it becomes clear that Helen's mother suffers from mental illness, any rational thought process would leave Helen with no connection (in this case love) to her mother. You could argue that Helen murdered her mother, indicating that her love did, in fact, rest on this connection, but as I continueto read it became clear that Helen had a great deal of love for her mother. Helen saw the murder as a mercy killing to release her mother from the prison of mental illness and suburban expectation she had been living in alone. In Helen's inner psyche, this "mercy killing" was an act of love.

Big question: Is love a matter of the intellect or a matter of the heart (emotions)?
Answer: Based on The Almost Moon, love is a matter of emotional connection rather than intellect. Further, logic has little bearing on your love for your family members.