The Mother: A Graphic Memoir

by Rachel Deutsch

In this hilarious and harrowingly honest graphic memoir, New Yorker cartoonist Rachel Deutsch, aka @weirdmomart on Instagram, shares the story of her journey into motherhood.

Rachel Deutsch had always wanted a baby. She wanted to press her face into theirs and feed them from her body. Eventually her child might hate her a little. But they’d be on speaking terms most of the time. Wait…or was that just Rachel’s experience with her mom? Had she processed her own childhood enough to raise a child herself!?

The Mother is about the constant dualities and contradictions of motherhood. The collision of future Rachel and past Rachel. Desperately wanting to get pregnant while fearful of being pregnant. Loving a new identity while missing an old one. Celebrating a new family while mourning the previous incarnation of a partnership.

Funny, provocative, and unabashedly candid, Deutsch’s memoir embraces both the joys and the challenges of modern parenthood in a way that will resonate with new and seasoned parents.

Genre: Graphic novel, memoir, comic, motherhood, matrescence, literary

Genres: Graphic Novels, Memoir, Nonfiction, Comics, Parenting, Adult, Canada

172 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2025

Reviews

[Eliza Ajami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really powerful. Laughed and cried... and saw myself in so many parts. love the illustrations.

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though The Mother doesn’t quite achieve the depth of other graphic memoirs exploring motherhood/reparenting, I appreciated the honesty and vulnerability with which the author probes the effects of parenthood on her relationship with her husband and the impact pregnancy and postpartum had on her mental health, particularly given her history of depression. Postpartum is indeed crazy-making and Deutsch’s witty and raw comic style is sure to make many mothers feel seen.

[Hugo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It goes by fast.
It hits you, and you can't even tell where and how.

This is the most heartfelt and emotional book I have read this year. Probably last year's too... No wait, I read Ducks last year... Sorry Rache. Anywho, I spent the last hour reading this book and was transfixed, utterly. It stopped time and swopped me into the rocking world of parenthood, and even if it's too early to even think of it from my point of view, I was almost living it and every pain and every joy touched me. I did not know adults were just teenagers with a couple more years. I didn't expect it, at least.

[Saralou Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this Memoir!!! It is touching, hilarious and spot on for all Mothers ( and Fathers). I am a grandmother in my 70s and totally related to most of the content presented. A great gift for a mother to be, a mother who is and Grandmothers who still are. I highly recommend this read!

[Eva Gachus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute and funny.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had this memoir when I was postpartum. Even all these years later this experience made me cry. Laugh a little too.

[Hannah Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and cute! I did feel like the ending was a bit abrupt.

[Katie Rund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty and clever drawing

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 was a cute, raw story!

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of depression through the book. Not much joy.

[Christen Oatley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A relatable story of motherhood and the first year, albeit choppy in some parts. Maybe graphic novels aren’t my thing, but it just felt weird for the sake of being weird and the illustrations were a bit much. This is probably more of an “it’s me, not you” situation here. I think the “adult graphic novel” genre is not for me.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me soooooo happy my kids are grown

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wept when Deutsch described the moments immediately following the birth of her daughter. Loved this whole book!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special review for the acknowledgement of Hanan and her son Omar in Gaza in the acknowledgements.

[Ashley_books_cats_judo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really quick read but I loved how much it touched on

[John Picols · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and intimate read, The Mother beautifully captures the complex bond between mother and child. The expressive artwork enhances the emotional depth, while sharp, honest humor brings warmth to even the toughest moments. It’s a moving, funny, and nuanced look at caregiving, memory, and love. Highly recommended for fans of graphic memoirs and family stories.

[Megan Baerg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will buy this book for all new moms in my life. I laughed, cried and felt very seen. Such a relatable book - brutally honest and funny.

[Melody Hufstedler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and accurate portrayal of what it’s like to become a mother. Made me laugh and cry and miss those early baby days. I wish I’d had this as a first time mom. Therapist approved!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby fever spurs the author into jumping into a relationship and pregnancy, even though she is filled with insecurities from growing up in an unhappy family. Their bandwidth is stretched thin by the challenges of a having a newborn, and with lack of family support, it seems like their already fragile relationship isn’t going to survive with the challenges of parenthood thrown in. It’s amazing what women’s bodies go through to create life—and then after going through all that, now you have a helpless newborn to care for and a permanently altered body. And yet your partner is still going to have needs! Just imagine if this author didn’t have the luxury of being Canadian and instead was American—no paid maternity leave, out of pocket medical costs anywhere from $8k to $37k or more, childcare and housing are astronomical, wages are low, and I could go on.

An interesting memoir of the author’s personal growth as she achieved her dream of motherhood. Her experience is similar to so many people’s, yet no one seems to be fully prepared for the difficulties of parenthood.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is it with graphic memoirs about the experience of becoming a mother that requires they be harrowing? In this case, the pregnancy/birth part is pretty straightforward, even humorous (if painful), but the "raising a newborn" part is absolutely fraught. I get that like, babies don't sleep on your schedule, but The Mother takes that to insane levels.

To each their own, though! Maybe there's a little exaggeration here, but I'm certainly not questioning the general truthiness of The Mother. In fact, because it's definitely not clear yet, I enjoyed the book! Rachel Deutsch's brazen writing and art styles pull you right into her life - it's a real "down the rabbit hole" read, no putting it down until it's over.

And, yes, Deutsch's experience of becoming a mother was weird and rough, but much of it was still relatable, even as a childless male reader. (Ultimately, of course, who am I to judge this book at all?) Emotionally resonant, appealingly goofy, remarkably honest: The Mother is a fine read... so long as you're not pregnant.

[little nerd girl be reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the art style of this book, being both cute and ugly, and also a combination sometimes?

I also loved the rawness and realness in the author’s depiction of motherhood. Her journey from romanticizing having a child, to the very real struggles faced during her pregnancy and beyond, were intertwined with so much heart.

Her relationship with her mother mirrors so many, and speaks to why she wanted to have a family so desperately. Ultimately she realizes that in order to heal the loneliness she’s always felt within her late at night, she has to learn to love herself. No one else can do that for her, not a baby or her partner.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I'm not a mother, and sometimes hearing about other people's experiences of motherhood lives me feeling kind of small and inferior. But this book was different. As an author and illustrator, Rachel Deutsch is truthful, relatable yet totally unique; I read this book in one sitting and immediately ordered more copies for friends. It's a real gift to anyone interested in one person's intimate experience of being a person and becoming a parent that will feel so different from how it often appears on the outside. Thank you Rachel.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first met this graphic memoir when it was just a twinkle in its mother's eye. And it's so lovely to see it all grown up now and walking around in the world! Rachel Deutsch's pictures and words unite to perfectly capture her hard and joyful experience of becoming a first-time mother. This is a story as old as time, but told from a unique perspective that includes lots of the imaginative dreamscapes, hybrid creatures, and wandering boobs that Deutsch/@weirdmomart is known for.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It captures so many fleeting moments that I didn’t know could be described. Rachel Deutsch’s voice is truly healing. She finds ways to hold softness, compassion and pain with humor. She raises complex concepts in a really simple and graceful way. Unexpected and refreshing work of art. A short and approachable read, a perfect gift.

[Emillie Parrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking it would be a fun and funny take on motherhood. While the discussion of her dating partners is funny, the book quickly descends into an examination of how the experience of motherhood is impacted by childhood issues.

While not a fun and funny memoir to be gifted to a newly pregnant friend, it is a poignant look at motherhood that many mothers will relate to.

[George Aj · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife told/recommended me to read this book to see if I could relate. And I did. It was very honest, funny, insightful, hopeful, and brave. And I'm here to recommend it to other fathers who would like to see themselves in their wives' shoes.

[Austyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ultimately loved what this book had to say, but it was much too short to really delve into the complex process of changing into a mother. It felt very surface level to me.

The art style is also not my personal taste, but I recognize that isn't a particularly fair criticism.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most memoirs, there’s a good dose of pain mixed with the humor. Anyone whose body has experienced the physical, emotional, and mental transition will find something relatable, and a few moments made me laugh aloud.

[Karla Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about having a baby before you get too old and what it is like trying to be a good parent and partner. Therapy is involved and they make it but the visuals of the mom as a super hero/monster really made the book real af

[Brittany North · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is sweet and I love the intimate moments the author shares with the reader through her motherhood journey. I think some parts were a bit glossed over and would’ve liked more, but worth the read — no matter if you’re a mom or not!