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bethanllystawel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thehannahwilkinson's review against another edition
5.0
Me again, here to rave about another book which tackles motherhood, in all its softness and its strength. This book had me choking back sobs, highlighting paragraphs, sending them to my teenage sons with my own soppy paragraphs... spoiler alert, they did not give a fuck 😂.
A love letter of sorts, from a mother (Soldier) to her young son (Sailor), detailing the early moments of their lives together, as she is irrevocably changed by the experience of becoming his mother.
A fact I love, and often remind myself of, is that during pregnancy, cells from the foetus cross the placenta and enter the mother's body, where they can become part of her tissues. Mothers carry unique genetic material from their children’s bodies, creating what biologists call a microchimera, named after the legendary beasts made of different animals. This book absolutely captures that primal feeling that I feel as a mother, the good, the bad and the ugly. The feeling of feminine power, knowing that you have created this life, you nurtured it, you brought it into the world safely but also, the feeling of fragility, the sometimes debilitating fear that you may do something wrong, that you can't keep them safe, that one day they will leave the nest and you have to just trust you have given them the skills with which they can fly.
Claire Kilroy's narrator is sleep-deprived, depressed and lonely, losing herself first to her husband and now her son, she is struggling, and it in this place of raw and honest emotion that we meet her. Her marriage is changed by motherhood, she is changed by motherhood, like the legendary chimera, she has become something more, she just needs to find a way to harness that strength. This is a heavy read at times but holy moly it's worth it. I am so here for these books that face the reality of the female experience and don't try to wrap it all up in a bow. Kilroy's writing is emotional but funny at times, relatable and real, I think it would even speak to women without children, Soldier's experience of aging and potentially losing who she is amidst the noise of everyday life really resonated with me on just a human level. I could not put it down and I will reread this many more times I am sure.
A love letter of sorts, from a mother (Soldier) to her young son (Sailor), detailing the early moments of their lives together, as she is irrevocably changed by the experience of becoming his mother.
A fact I love, and often remind myself of, is that during pregnancy, cells from the foetus cross the placenta and enter the mother's body, where they can become part of her tissues. Mothers carry unique genetic material from their children’s bodies, creating what biologists call a microchimera, named after the legendary beasts made of different animals. This book absolutely captures that primal feeling that I feel as a mother, the good, the bad and the ugly. The feeling of feminine power, knowing that you have created this life, you nurtured it, you brought it into the world safely but also, the feeling of fragility, the sometimes debilitating fear that you may do something wrong, that you can't keep them safe, that one day they will leave the nest and you have to just trust you have given them the skills with which they can fly.
Claire Kilroy's narrator is sleep-deprived, depressed and lonely, losing herself first to her husband and now her son, she is struggling, and it in this place of raw and honest emotion that we meet her. Her marriage is changed by motherhood, she is changed by motherhood, like the legendary chimera, she has become something more, she just needs to find a way to harness that strength. This is a heavy read at times but holy moly it's worth it. I am so here for these books that face the reality of the female experience and don't try to wrap it all up in a bow. Kilroy's writing is emotional but funny at times, relatable and real, I think it would even speak to women without children, Soldier's experience of aging and potentially losing who she is amidst the noise of everyday life really resonated with me on just a human level. I could not put it down and I will reread this many more times I am sure.
meepsharrison's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
trashley_123's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fabienne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jaded_eclectic's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Wow motherhood is hard. Shocker!!
As someone who will never get pregnant (hopefully), I appreciate learning about the challenges described in the book. The insights are massively appreciated.
Although I didn’t gain as much as I expected from this, I don’t think I wasted my time. This is definitely my #1 book to recommend to new couples so they can make decisions before having children and learn what not to do.
PS: Significantly advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice.
As someone who will never get pregnant (hopefully), I appreciate learning about the challenges described in the book. The insights are massively appreciated.
Although I didn’t gain as much as I expected from this, I don’t think I wasted my time. This is definitely my #1 book to recommend to new couples so they can make decisions before having children and learn what not to do.
PS: Significantly advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice.