Books about motherhood?

[Vitallyli]

I'm a FTM and would really love to read something about Motherhood, maybe philosophical or psychological or stories of famous mothers, don't mind if it's a bit grim like story of Medea. Please throw at me some recommendations?

Not sure if this quite what you were were thinking, but... this book rang a lot of bells for me.

Night Waking by Sarah Moss.

The vlogger Louise Pentland has written a book about motherhood, but haven't read it, just know of it but can't recall the title.

I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite.

@LegoCaltrops and @TheWindOnTheMoon thank you! I'll check these out! I'm interested on how motherhood transforms a person. I'll definitely check out your suggestions!

A Life’s Work by Sarah Cusk. Excellent.
Was also going to say Night Waking

I also loved Night Waking Sarah Moss is a beautiful writer.

On the fluffier end Happy Mum Happy Baby by Giovanna Fletcher is nice and I really related to all of the Un Mumsy Mum books. They are just so funny.

I would like to try Candice Brathwaits book. I listened to a pod cast where she talks about her daughter’s birth and it is heartbreaking (as she nearly died). Another lovely book is Mothership by Francesca Seagal it is about her experience with her preamature twins in neonatal intensive care.

I loved Hollie Manish 'nobody told me'. Its a mix of poetry and prose, her thoughts through pregnancy and the early years. Made me cry in the post pregnancy haze.

By the time DD was 9 months old I was reading the hurrah for gin book

What Mothers Do: especially when it looks like nothing by Naomi Stadlen

Haven’t finished it yet but it was resonating with me within a couple of pages.

Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalets series has multiple depictions of different kinds of mothering.
Madeline Miller's Circe has a fierce depiction of a mythical mother.
If you have a young son, I guarantee Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet will make you weep buckets

Bitter by Francesca Jakobi. Not a model mother by a long stretch but I loved it.

Paranoid Patenting by Frank Furedi saved my sanity .

He's a sociologist and commentator (also contributes to Spiked).

Rachel Cusk, as above. A life’s work. Clover Stroud (?), My wild and sleepless nights.

Tbh when I was expecting DD I re-read The Child, the Family and the Outside World by DW Winnicott but I think that would be a bit of an out-there choice .

I'm okay; you're a brat by Susan Jeffers is the best book I ever read about motherhood. A clear account of the downside to having children with advice on what to do about it and get your life back.

My Mother Myself - Nancy Friday

I second What Mothers Do, remember it being really powerful as a FTM

Wow! Lots of amazing suggestions, thank you, ladies! I'll download samples on my kindle to choose which one to read first!

I loved Anne Enright’s Making Babies, but hated Rachel Cusk’s self-pitying memoir.

@HopeClearwater

I loved Anne Enright’s Making Babies, but hated Rachel Cusk’s self-pitying memoir.

I was about to suggest Anne Enright’s Making Babies, though I like the Cusk memoir too.

A Ghost In The Throat by Doireann Ni Ghriofa?

Thirding What Mothers Do, Especially When It Looks Like Nothing.

Also, came on here to say Nightwaking, by Sarah Moss.

I loved the mother in law by Sally hepworth, lots of layers.

Thank you!