The Good Mother Myth, Avital Norman Nathman ~ book review

For shame ... it has taken me way too long to post about this book.

Honestly, I have to apologize, but I think that the writers included in this incredible compilation of essays will completely understand. You see - they're mothers, too. They get it. They know that sometimes snow days and runny noses and homework and dinners and the tremendous need to sit down on a soft couch with your feet up and the remote in your hand take precedence over sitting down at the laptop to write a book review.

No matter how many times you schlep said laptop upstairs to your bed with you, AND have the book right by your side. Ultimately you end up asleep in your child's bed, or on the iPad playing Mah Johng until 2AM. That does not a book review post make.

But here I am. Finally. Here to remind everyone that there's a book out there that's perfect for you. These women, these mamas, they're real. They're out there and they're your next door neighbor and they're your Facebook friends, and they're IN YOUR HOUSE. Because they might even be YOU.

The Good Mother Myth. A powerful read filled with reminders of how the most important thing is NOT what other mothers do as parents. Or what these other mothers might think about us. But what's most important is how we raise our children, how we live our lives. The myth that represents the good mother? There are many. I think we each have our own. The ideals we set up and reach for. Are we even sure that anyone else lives them?

We're all good mothers. Those of us who take care of our children and get them clothed and bathed (sometimes) and ensure that they're kept warm, fed, loved ... we're good mothers. Some days we don't feel like it - and other days we're happy that we even picked up dinner on the way home, or put the dishes in the dishwasher before we turned it on.

And The Good Mother Myth reminds us that there's nobody out there who can tell us we're not good mothers. Nobody needs to judge us. We do enough of that ourselves.

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to read and review this book because I know and love one of the contributors. The beautiful Kim of All Work and No Play Makes Mommy Go Something Something is someone I'm truly lucky to know. Her beauty shines through her words. Her sense of humor, her laugh, her smile, and her pain - all make the amazing individual that she is.

Kim's piece in this book is written in her typical open, real and raw style. She talks about postpartum depression and holds nothing back. We ache for her. With her. We understand her, even if we haven't experienced exactly what she did. Her words bring it all to life for us. And we breathe with her when she can, finally, at the end of the writing, breathe for herself again.

The stories throughout this book vary. They touch on the emotions of motherhood, the aches and pains, physical, mental, emotional - all of them packed into 250+ pages of  words. Words pouring out, pulling you in, causing you to shake your head, feel anxious, breathe deeply - all of it - motherhood at its finest.

Young moms, older moms, single moms, adoptive moms, white moms, black moms, American moms, Canadian moms, Australian moms, Israeli moms. Filmmakers, nurses, writers, authors, massage therapists, political bloggers. You name it, they've contributed to this incredible read.

I truly loved this book. And if you know me then you know I don't say that if I don't mean it. And I mean it here. The Good Mother Myth is the kind of read that every mom needs.

Some stories may lead you to want to judge. Some might have you holding your breath. Some might remind you you were there once, too. And ALL of them might just remind you that - hey - we're all human. We're ALL mothers. We're doing the best we can. And so are you.

Pick up a copy of The Good Mother Myth today. You'll be glad you did, I promise.

* This post contains affiliate links. 

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