There's A Book For That
Motherhood can break you. These books sympathize...
We read to know we are not alone. CS Lewis
In its best moments, motherhood can be a rewarding, heartwarming, fulfilling endeavor. In its worst, it can be thankless, grueling, and heartbreaking. Most mothers will attest to this fact, will nod along when one mother mentions being broken by their child or children. “I’ve been there,” they will say, a camaraderie springing from the admission that motherhood is not all rainbows and sunshine.
Our co-founder, Ariel Lawhon, says that she could not have written her latest book, The Frozen River, before motherhood broke her. You can go check out our first podcast where Ariel talks about that very thing here.
As we have wrapped up our month with Ariel and The Frozen River, here are a few more books that feature mothers who’ve been broken (or at the least, fractured/altered/stretched) by this job. It’s good to know we aren’t alone in this gig. It’s even better to know we’re in such great company. See below!
“Mothering, she’s learned, is a constant blade twisting in the heart.”
- Hannah Richell
It just so happens that motherhood is the connecting theme to our February Book Club pick, The Search Party by Hannah Richell. The novel on its surface is about a glamping trip among old friends gone terribly wrong. But the backbone of the story is about four families and the way they interact with each other over one fateful weekend.
The Search Party explores the dynamic of parenting in four wildly different situations while tugging on the common threads between them. Whether is it parenting teenagers, raising blended families, opening your heart to adoptive children and the trauma they carry, or the families we choose to be a part of, Hannah Richell handles each case with care and respect but is not afraid to expose their harsh realities.
In the end the question for each family is how to put your brokenness aside and live for the ones you love?
Of course, there is more to The Search Party than just parenting and we are so excited to jump into those conversations throughout this month.
What is your favorite book on motherhood?
There’s been a lot of discussion about Tom Lake and how Ann Patchett portrays motherhood within that novel. As the mother of a teenage daughter, I cannot imagine recalling my romantic life (pre-husband) to my daughter, yet that’s the narrative of Tom Lake and what draws so many readers to that story. Motherhood is complicated and a constant roller-coaster of emotions!
Just finished The Search Party. Knowing that motherhood was a theme had me looking at the dads in the story, also. Interesting perspective.