Motherhood
Last updated: October 09, 2023
Books on motherhood provide invaluable insights into the multi-faceted aspects of motherhood, delving into the emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions of this transformative role. From memoirs sharing personal experiences to practical guides offering advice on child-rearing, these books illuminate the joys, challenges, and complexities of motherhood.
Deborah Levy on Motherhood in Literature
Aristotle tells us that all politics starts in the family, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the infamously fraught relationship between mother and daughter. Here, the novelist, playwright and poet Deborah Levy chooses five books – or rather, four books and one film – that explore motherhood.
The best books on Being a Mother, recommended by Amy Chua
The author of the self-satirising memoir on ambitious “tiger mothers” talks us through the books about motherhood that have made the most impact on her.
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1
Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage: Weaving Ancient Wisdom with Modern Knowledge
by Rachel Reed -
2
Why Birth Trauma Matters
by Emma Svanberg -
3
Divided: Racism, Medicine and Why We Need to Decolonise Healthcare
by Annabel Sowemimo -
4
Life, Almost: Miscarriage, Misconceptions and a Search for Answers from the Brink of Motherhood
by Jennie Agg -
5
Nightbitch: A Novel
by Rachel Yoder
The best books on Childbirth, recommended by Leah Hazard
The best books on Childbirth, recommended by Leah Hazard
Birth is a transformational experience but it’s also an emotionally fraught one, with sometimes traumatic consequences, says midwife Leah Hazard. Here she recommends five books that discuss the deep psychological impact of childbirth, the debate over interventionism, and the inequalities baked into the practice of obstetrics.
The best books on Women in Society, recommended by Erica Jong
The celebrated feminist gives us her view of essential reading for women – and says the gender revolution is far from over
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1
Getting to 50/50: How Working Parents Can Have It All
by Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober -
2
A Grand Gender Convergence: Its Last Chapter
by Claudia Goldin -
3
Tempered Radicals
by Debra E Meyerson -
4
Behind the Kitchen Door
by Sarumathi Jayaraman -
5
Living Wages, Equal Wages: Gender and Labour Market Policies in the United States
by Deborah M. Figart and Ellen Mutari and Marilyn Power
The best books on Women and Work, recommended by Myra Strober
The best books on Women and Work, recommended by Myra Strober
Despite having slightly higher education levels, women working full-time in the US still only earn 79% of what men do. Stanford economist and author of Sharing the Work, Myra Strober, picks the best books—and one article—that explain the gender wage gap, and, more importantly, show us what we can do about it.