On the surface, What Matters Most is a rumination on author Ann Zalkind’s relationship with her mother, but through personal reflections, Zalkind’s objective was to illustrate universal themes with which almost anyone can identify. Her goal was to create an impressionistic portrait, at times both chilling and poignant; a memoir unlike any other. A remembrance of her mother, and also various characters from her mother’s world, Zalkind’s collection oftentimes delves into difficult memories, and by doing so, she hopes to address the timeless connection between life, death, and memory.