Pointing to a photograph, a lady says: “This woman’s daughter’s brother is my husband.” How is “this woman” related to the lady?

Introduction / Context:
This classic photograph riddle uses a chain of relations through a pair of siblings. The goal is to map the chain to a precise, single family role. Carefully rewriting the description helps prevent mistakes about who is whose child or sibling.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Speaker is a lady.
• She points to “this woman” in the photograph.
• She states: “This woman’s daughter’s brother is my husband.”
• Standard family structure; no step-/adoptive qualifiers unless stated.

Concept / Approach:
Work from the innermost relation: “this woman’s daughter” is one child of “this woman.” The “daughter’s brother” is another child of “this woman.” That son is, by the statement, the speaker’s husband. If a person’s son is your husband, that person is your mother-in-law (the husband’s mother). We then validate no alternative interpretation is needed.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
The chain does not mention the speaker’s own parents, eliminating mother/sister possibilities. The only consistent terminal role for W is the mother of the speaker’s spouse.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• mother / sister: Would require W’s child to be the speaker or speaker’s sibling—contradicts “my husband.”
• niece: Reverses generations incorrectly.
• None of these: Not needed because “mother-in-law” fits exactly.

Common Pitfalls:

• Misreading “daughter’s brother” as “daughter’s husband.” It clearly says “brother.”
• Losing track of pronouns; naming placeholders (W, D, S) avoids confusion.

Final Answer:

mother-in-law