Review: "The Good Mother Myth"

In an era of mommy blogs, Pinterest, and Facebook, The Good Mother Myth dismantles the social media-fed notion of what it means to be a good mother. This collection of essays takes a realistic look at motherhood and provides a platform for real voices and raw stories, each adding to the narrative of motherhood we don't tend to see in the headlines or on the news. From tales of mind-bending, panic-inducing overwhelm to a reflection on using weed instead of wine to deal with the terrible twos, the honesty of the essays creates a community of mothers who refuse to feel like they’re in competition with others, or with the notion of the ideal mom — they’re just trying to find a way to make it work. With a foreword by Christy Turlington Burns and a contributor list that includes Jessica Valenti, Sharon Lerner, Lisa Duggan, and many more, this remarkable collection seeks to debunk the myth and offer some honesty about what it means to be a mother.

 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

Not really sure how to review an anthology.  I can't really review each individual story, but I guess I can start by saying how the book as a whole made me feel.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed, unprepared, or inadequate in your role as a mother, then you should definitely pick up this book.  Probably the most important thing (the take home message, if you will) I learned from this book is that I'm not alone in my struggles to be a "good" mother.  We all make mistakes, and it's okay to not be perfect, because nobody is, no matter how they appear to the outside world.

There was a recurring theme, as well.  Many of the stories involved some harsh judgement, and this went one of three ways - someone else was judging the narrator, the narrator spoke about judging another mother, or the narrator judged herself.  The most heartbreaking story for me was one of a woman who had been abused all throughout her life, by her mother among others.  Once in a stable relationship, she decided to not have children simply from fear of treating them as her mother treated her.  I had tears in my eyes after reading that one!  

My favourite, however, was "We Need to Quit Telling Lies on Facebook" by Sarah Emily Tuttle-Singer.  That one had me laughing my arse off - sooooooooo funny, and true!  I loved it!!!

My rating: