GTKY: Favourite Books about Motherhood/Moms

poetryandoceans · June 2016

Hi Ladies: this question occurred to me during one of my middle of the night trips to the bathroom. What are some of your favourite books about motherhood or featuring moms in prominent roles? I'm looking for some summer reading and I figure it might as well be focused on where my mind is anyway. I've already got a stack of pregnancy and baby books, but I'd like to mix it up and find some fiction (or nonfiction) to occupy my thoughts. A little bit of distraction from the "oh my god what baby carrier do I want to use" kind of thoughts, if you know what I mean!

I'll start us off my with two of my favourites, and they are wildly different:

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant -- I was actually re-reading this when I found out I was pregnant. It's a really lovely retelling of the story of Dinah from the Old Testament, from her perspective. It looks at the role of women in pre-Judao-Christian culture, and has some really lovely scenes about midwifery and the power of birth. There are a few storylines dealing with loss and infertility, so keep that in mind when choosing, but they are not emphasized and the characters are not defined by those losses.

And for something completely different: We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver -- This book actually deals with one of my biggest fears as a mother: raising a kid with an empathy disorder. It's a really interesting look at the nature vs nurture debate, and I've found it really interesting that two people can read the book and come away with completely different interpretations as to whether to book was making a case for Nature being the determining factor in a kid's personality, or if Nurture was the most important part. There is a violent premise, one that is talked around quite a bit but only vividly described in one scene, but that violence sort of defines the text.

So ladies, what are some of your favourites? I'm waiting with eager anticipation and my library website open in another tab!

Vivi20 · June 2016

I haven't recently read any fiction. I'm a huge historical non-fiction fan. But I did read "Bringing up BeBe", which is written by....the name escapes me at the moment. But it's an American mom's view on what the parenting culture in France is like. I found it an entertaining read. Plus I'm really interested in other countries and cultures, especially as it pertains to family life, so it satisfied my curiosities in that regard.

susykat77 · June 2016

Oooh! Great topic! The Red Tent is one of my favorites. I just re-read it last November. So good.

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman is a great read but be warned the first 80 pages or so are a struggle to get through. Once you get through them though, you won't be able to put it down. I am posting the blurb from her web-site here because I am horrible at summarizing:

In 70 CE, nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on a mountain in the Judean, desert, Masada. Only two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman weaves a spellbinding tale of four extraordinary bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom comes to Masada by a different path. Yael’s mother died in childbirth, and her father, an expert assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker’s wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her young grandsons, rendered mute by their own witness. Aziza is a warrior’s daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and expert marksman who finds passion with a fellow soldier. Shirah, born in Alexandria, is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power.

The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets — about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and who they love.

The other book I am slowly reading is called Life After Birth by Kate Figes. It is a non-fiction book about the realities of life after you give birth. She uses her personal experience as well as research and interviews to cover many of the "issues" new mother face but often are not talked about openly. Her though is that if you know all the possibilities you may encounter then you will be better prepared to handle them. So far I like the book.

poetryandoceans · June 2016

@jlea05 I have been eyeing that book! I'm glad you found it an enjoyable read. I actually have a girlfriend who moved to France 4 years ago and has since had a baby. And she has a LOT of thoughts about rearing kids the French way. Every time I Skype with her it feels like an interactive version of that book

I'm especially interested in the approach to food they have, because my little god-daughter is an amazing eater at 2.5 years... would love to incorporate some of that philosophy!

poetryandoceans · June 2016

@susykat77 oooh, the Dovekeepers sounds super interesting; I love historical fiction

Going on the list!

And Life After Birth sounds like a good book to add to my baby-prep pile. I've been finding myself already turning more to the books on babies than pregnancy. I feel like I've got a care provider to help me through the next 8 months and give me things I need to look out for, but once that baby comes out, there's a LOT you need to know! Good to get a drop on it now

susykat77 · June 2016

@poetryandoceans FYI Life After Birth focuses more on the mom and her health and what to expect regarding changes within herself.

Vivi20 · June 2016

@poetryandoceans You should totally read "French Kids Eat Everything". I just picked up a copy at Goodwill, and it, too, discusses parenting philosophies in France, but with a focus on eating. I've only gotten into the first couple pages, but so far it's good.

poetryandoceans · June 2016

@jlea05 That sounds PERFECT! thank you

@susykat77 I think that's really important! My MW said something that really resonated with me, that mom and baby are so connected, and that she focuses on the health and wellbeing of the mother because that will naturally give the baby its best chance. So knowing what to expect for our health after giving birth seems pretty essential to me

Josie3=5 · June 2016

This probably isn't the inspiring book that you're looking for but 'room' is a FASCINATING read and was an amazing work of fiction on what it would take to survive as a captive with a child. Told from the child's perspective, it was alternatively creepy and one of the greatest love stories to a child that you'll ever read as the mother tried to create a world that was perfect for her kid under impossible circumstances.

poetryandoceans · June 2016

@Josie3=5 I loved Room! Did you see the movie they made of it? Very very powerful

I'm definitely not looking just for inspiring stuff -- We Need to Talk About Kevin is def not inspiring in the "classic" sense. Dark in a lot of ways, but still very powerful stuff. Room is very much the same way, I thought.

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