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The Book of Mothers: How Literature Can Help Us Reinvent Modern Motherhood by Carrie Mullins
jessejane306's review
informative
reflective
4.0
Mullins definitely went some places I wasn’t expecting. I found her comparing Mrs. Bennett to a Real Housewife very apt. Using Mrs. Weasley as an ode to harried moms was an excellent choice.
Mullins does a good job representing intersectional stories about motherhood and how it differs from our stories about white mothers. A couple of essays didn’t delve quite as deep but most were interesting and insightful. For all the history across these works, they all were tied in to struggles modern moms deal with.
It’s also very accessible. If you didn’t spend your undergrad dabbling in comparative literature, this will still make perfect sense to you. An excellent gift idea for bookish moms for Mother’s Day. 4/5
upthelibraryladder's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Everything a non-fiction book should be. A very validating read. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to understand the nuances of modern motherhood.
ARC provided by NetGalley.
ARC provided by NetGalley.
lifeasmrsbaker's review
4.0
This book was an interesting look at motherhood and how it is portrayed throughout history in books. I really enjoyed the nods to many of my favorite books and mothers in those books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Carrie Mullins for the ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Carrie Mullins for the ARC!
erinsbeenreading's review
4.0
Mothers are historically the least interesting or involved characters in most works of fiction. Carrie Mullins explores 15 works of classic and contemporary literature to argue that motherhood is complex and an individual experience- far from the one size fits all. I spent my time with this book, researching each book as it is presented as most I have not read. It is dense and packed with content that is too rich to read quickly.
You'll find moms from the following books:
-Pride and Prejudice
-Little Women
-The Great Gatsby
-Beloved
-Heartburn
-The Color Purple
-The Joy Luck Club
-Madame Bovary
-Anne of Green Gables
-To the Lighthouse
-Play It As It Lays
-Mrs. Bridge
-Passing
-The Handmaid's Tale
-Harry Potter
While I think reading all of these books would have aided my comprehension of some of the author's main points, I don't think it necessary to grasp what it means to be a mother in modern day society and how this has and has not changed throughout the years. I highlighted so many sentences in this book, probably more than any before it so I will leave you with one of my favorites:
Write stories about women, about mothers. literature humanizes; it widens our perspective and has an unmatched ability to create empathy for characters unlike ourselves"
This would make a fantastic read for any mother or literary fiction reader and the timing of publication- around Mother's Day- perfect.
You'll find moms from the following books:
-Pride and Prejudice
-Little Women
-The Great Gatsby
-Beloved
-Heartburn
-The Color Purple
-The Joy Luck Club
-Madame Bovary
-Anne of Green Gables
-To the Lighthouse
-Play It As It Lays
-Mrs. Bridge
-Passing
-The Handmaid's Tale
-Harry Potter
While I think reading all of these books would have aided my comprehension of some of the author's main points, I don't think it necessary to grasp what it means to be a mother in modern day society and how this has and has not changed throughout the years. I highlighted so many sentences in this book, probably more than any before it so I will leave you with one of my favorites:
Write stories about women, about mothers. literature humanizes; it widens our perspective and has an unmatched ability to create empathy for characters unlike ourselves"
This would make a fantastic read for any mother or literary fiction reader and the timing of publication- around Mother's Day- perfect.
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