The Silence of Motherhood


Book Description

When Dr. Victoria Jones is left alone in her normally chaotic house, temporarily abandoned by her sleepover-bound children, she finds herself almost deafened by the resounding silence. Victoria remembers silence ... vaguely. It has been years, of course, but she and silence used to be very close. Almost family, really. As a highly respected surgical oncologist, and someone who had chosen to have children on her own terms via donor insemination (rather than searching for some far-fetched ideal with which she couldn't be bothered), Victoria had grown accustomed to the happily chaotic cacophony that generally surrounded her. This newfound silence gets her to thinking―about the relationship between motherhood and silence, and how motherhood itself can be silenced in so many ways: some temporary and some permanent, some natural and expected, and some tragic and unavoidable. Inspired, she decides that it's time to reanimate her long-dead aspirations of writing a book. It would be funny and insightful, poignant and silly ... It would give a voice to other women like herself―women who lived their lives on their own terms, not needing a man or a partner to “complete” them, or their lives. It would be her story, and it would be awesome. Little did she know that she was about to meet someone who might change that story, and her life, forever!




The Mask of Motherhood


Book Description

Becoming a mother is filled with the extremes of emotion --the highest highs and the lowest lows. But women are often reluctant to talk honestly about the experience for fear they'll be seen as bad mothers. With wit and candor, The Mask of Motherhood takes on the myths and the misinformation, helping women to prepare and deal with the depth of feeling that comes with the experience and perhaps most important, it lets them know that many, if not most, new mothers are feeling the same way.Susan Maushart, sociologist and mother of three, explores how motherhood affects our marriages and friendships, our relationships with parents, our sex lives, and our self-esteem. In The Mask of Motherhood, mothers will find the comfort and reassurance they are looking for, and confirmation that, indeed, motherhood is the toughest job in the world, but can also be the most rewarding.




Silence Is My Mother Tongue


Book Description

A sensuous, textured novel of life in a refugee camp, long-listed for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction On a hill overlooking a refugee camp in Sudan, a young man strings up bedsheets that, in an act of imaginative resilience, will serve as a screen in his silent cinema. From the cinema he can see all the comings and goings in the camp, especially those of two new arrivals: a girl named Saba, and her mute brother, Hagos. For these siblings, adapting to life in the camp is not easy. Saba mourns the future she lost when she was forced to abandon school, while Hagos, scorned for his inability to speak, must live vicariously through his sister. Both resist societal expectations by seeking to redefine love, sex, and gender roles in their lives, and when a businessman opens a shop and befriends Hagos, they cast off those pressures and make an unconventional choice. With this cast of complex, beautifully drawn characters, Sulaiman Addonia details the textures and rhythms of everyday life in a refugee camp, and questions what it means to be an individual when one has lost all that makes a home or a future. Intimate and subversive, Silence Is My Mother Tongue dissects the ways society wages war on women and explores the stories we must tell to survive in a broken, inhospitable environment.




Ordinary Insanity


Book Description

A groundbreaking exposé and diagnosis of the silent epidemic of fear afflicting new mothers, and a candid, feminist deep dive into the culture, science, history, and psychology of contemporary motherhood Anxiety among mothers is a growing but largely unrecognized crisis. In the transition to mother­hood and the years that follow, countless women suffer from overwhelming feelings of fear, grief, and obsession that do not fit neatly within the outmoded category of “postpartum depression.” These women soon discover that there is precious little support or time for their care, even as expectations about what mothers should do and be continue to rise. Many struggle to distinguish normal worry from crippling madness in a culture in which their anxiety is often ignored, normalized, or, most dangerously, seen as taboo. Drawing on extensive research, numerous interviews, and the raw particulars of her own experience with anxiety, writer and mother Sarah Menkedick gives us a comprehensive examination of the biology, psychology, history, and societal conditions surrounding the crushing and life-limiting fear that has become the norm for so many. Woven into the stories of women’s lives is an examination of the factors—such as the changing structure of the maternal brain, the ethically problematic ways risk is construed during pregnancy, and the marginalization of motherhood as an identity—that explore how motherhood came to be an experience so dominated by anxiety, and how mothers might reclaim it. Writing with profound empathy, visceral honesty, and deep understanding, Menkedick makes clear how critically we need to expand our awareness of, compassion for, and care for women’s lives.




My Mother's Silence: A Gripping Page Turner Full of Twists and Family Secrets


Book Description

Some things you can never escape. I should know. I've been running away for fifteen years, and now I'm right back where I started... Skye Turner's family fell apart the day her twin sister Ginny died. Everyone in their tiny community in the Scottish Highlands accepted it was an accident, but more than one person in town is haunted by a secret from that night... Skye left after the funeral, believing her mother blamed her for Ginny's death. Skye should have taken care of Ginny, should have been there to stop her falling from the cliffs that night. Over the years, she's barely spoken to her mother, until the day she receives a phone call asking her to return home. As soon as Skye arrives in her childhood home, she knows something isn't right. Her mother has kept the bedroom she shared with her sister like a shrine, Ginny's clothes and diaries gathering dust, as though her mother thinks Ginny might come back. And there are whispers in town that Ginny wasn't alone when she died... Skye is desperate to find out the truth, but her mother just wants her family back together. As Skye begins to unravel everyone's lies, she realises the truth might tear her family apart for good... My Mother's Silence is a twisty and emotional novel about the bonds between mothers and daughters, and what happens when we hide things from those we love the most. Fans of Diane Chamberlain, Liane Moriarty and Kerry Fisher will be gripped. What readers are saying about Lauren Westwood: 'If there was such a thing as a "mic drop" for books, then this would warrant it ten times over. What a powerful, powerful read... blew me away... Lauren Westwood is a phenomenal author and this book definitely showcases her beautiful way with words - I adored it.' The Writing Garnet, 5 stars 'I have literally fallen in love with this book... I was pretty much glued to the pages throughout and couldn't turn the pages quick enough... If you haven't read a Lauren Westwood book yet, then all I can say is don't delay any further.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars '5 out of 5 glorious stars! I guarantee you have never read a holiday novel like this before. It will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. It will tear you apart and then build you back up again... Highly recommend!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'What a book!... I read this book really fast, I couldn't put it down... I really urge you all to read it!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I devoured this book.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Oh my flipping goodness - what an opening!! As soon as I started to read the first chapter, I had no idea what was going to be in store for me as the story progressed. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars




What My Mother and I Don't Talk About


Book Description

“You will devour these beautifully written—and very important—tales of honesty, pain, and resilience” (Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls) from fifteen brilliant writers who explore how what we don’t talk about with our mothers affects us, for better or for worse. As an undergraduate, Michele Filgate started writing an essay about being abused by her stepfather. It took her more than a decade to realize that she was actually trying to write about how this affected her relationship with her mother. When it was finally published, the essay went viral, shared on social media by Anne Lamott, Rebecca Solnit, and many others. This gave Filgate an idea, and the resulting anthology offers a candid look at our relationships with our mothers. Leslie Jamison writes about trying to discover who her seemingly perfect mother was before ever becoming a mom. In Cathi Hanauer’s hilarious piece, she finally gets a chance to have a conversation with her mother that isn’t interrupted by her domineering (but lovable) father. André Aciman writes about what it was like to have a deaf mother. Melissa Febos uses mythology as a lens to look at her close-knit relationship with her psychotherapist mother. And Julianna Baggott talks about having a mom who tells her everything. As Filgate writes, “Our mothers are our first homes, and that’s why we’re always trying to return to them.” There’s relief in acknowledging how what we couldn’t say for so long is a way to heal our relationships with others and, perhaps most important, with ourselves. Contributions by Cathi Hanauer, Melissa Febos, Alexander Chee, Dylan Landis, Bernice L. McFadden, Julianna Baggott, Lynn Steger Strong, Kiese Laymon, Carmen Maria Machado, André Aciman, Sari Botton, Nayomi Munaweera, Brandon Taylor, and Leslie Jamison.




Breaking the Silence


Book Description

“Dad, there are things about my childhood I’d like to know.” “I don’t want to talk about it. It would only hurt your mother.” “But Dad, you’re the only one who can tell me.” “I don’t want to talk about it. It would only hurt your mother.” Secrets. Lies. Silences. Stories told by parents and their families to protect themselves. A father who defends his wife despite her damage to their daughter’s health and welfare. A mother, shielded by her husband, who perpetuates murderous acts of violence against the daughter, and keeps secret her husband’s sexual “play” with the young girl. And yet ... Nancy King, determined to learn the truth of her childhood and the heartbreaking effects it has had on her adult life, uncovers the secrets. Sees through the lies. Breaks the silence. Empowered by the stories she told herself as a child, she learns to use stories as part of her work as a university professor teaching theater, drama, world literature, and creative expression. Gradually, with the help of body work and therapy, she finds her voice. Says no to abuse and abusers. Reclaims her self and life. Writes a memoir. She climbs mountains. Weaves tapestries. Writes books. Makes friends. Creates a meaningful life. This is her story.




Silence of Shame


Book Description

Childhood Memoir. A Woman recounts her childhood caring for her bedridden mother.




The Mother Knot


Book Description

A feminist classic and a valuable testimonial to the experience of mothering. Originally published in 1976 but still relevant today, this is a fierce, often funny, often painful description of Lazarre's first few years of motherhood.




Mother Angelica Her Grand Silence


Book Description

"A portrait of Mother Angelica describes the influential nun's youth, her dedication to a cloistered order of Franciscan nuns, and her creation of the powerful, multimillion-dollar Eternal World Television Network,"--NoveList.