My Seven Mothers: Making a Family in the Danish Women's Movement

by Pernille Ipsen, Tiina Nunnally (Translator)

Seven women raise a child together while redefining their place in society at the beginning of the Women’s Movement in Denmark in the 1970s


On New Year’s Eve in Copenhagen in 1972, seven women had a child one gave birth and six others attended. They had met a year earlier at a feminist women’s camp on a small island and now, with about twenty other women’s liberationists, they occupied three dilapidated apartment buildings in the center of Copenhagen. One became the country’s first Women’s House, the nerve center of the Women’s Movement in Denmark, and the other two were women-only communal living spaces that were Pernille Ipsen’s first home. In this intimate portrait of life during the exhilarating early days of women’s liberation in Scandinavia and dramatic social change around the globe, she tells the stories of these seven women, her seven mothers.

 

Recounting her mothers’ history—from the passions and beliefs they shared to the political divisions over sexual identity that ultimately split them apart—Ipsen captures the individuality of each of her mothers as well as the common experiences that drew them together. As she deftly reflects the practical and emotional realities of her mothers’ women-centered life, Ipsen presents an engrossing picture of intersecting lives that, half a century ago, raised questions we still grapple with What is a family? Who is a woman? And who gets to decide? 

 

A chronicle of gender, sexuality, and feminism as it was constructed, contested, and lived, My Seven Mothers is an eye-opening account of the challenges and possibilities connected with liberation and radical social change during the 1970s. In this time of fierce struggles over family, sexuality, and child-rearing, it reminds us that new worlds are always possible.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Womens, Memoir

360 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 2025

About the author

Pernille Ipsen was professor of gender and women’s studies and history at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for fifteen years and is now a full-time writer. She divides her time between Madison and Copenhagen, Denmark

Reviews

[ReadThruTheNight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir is a masterpiece, reading like a novel that will captivate your heart.

It takes place in Denmark during the feminist movement in the 1970’s and is a powerful exploration of communal living, child rearing and feminism during this time period. It’s a must-read that will leave you feeling inspired.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this before its release in October.

[Diane Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was definitely like nothing I've read before. Made for very interesting reading. Detailed in the women's movement and 7 woman. The book was thoughtful and well written. Something that I will remember.

Thanks to the author the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a girl who was raised by seven mothers during the women’s movement in Denmark. The women came together on a commune where they organized the movement. It feels a bit less like a memoir and more like a journalistic piece documenting the movement with interviews. I actually think it would be a great book to include on a syllabus, and for book clubs that want something totally different.

[Berta · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can seven Danish women do for the feminist movement? The answer: a lot!

My Seven Mothers is a non-fiction book following a group of seven Danish women as they help launch the feminist movement in Denmark in the 1970s. Most of the main characters are in their early twenties and come from very different backgrounds. You get to dive deep into their upbringings, their passions, and their aspirations for a better Denmark for women. The book focuses on these seven women living in Copenhagen’s first-ever Women’s Commune, who end up raising a child (the author!) together.

This was a fascinating historical and anthropological read. The depth of the research and the author’s extensive knowledge of the main characters help you fully immerse yourself in each of their journeys, and root for them! Although the book is primarily a factual recollection of the women’s lives, it does a great job of contextualizing their actions within the larger feminist movement and the historical changes that took place in 1970s and 1980s Denmark.

The author does a great job of incorporating everyone’s voice, but it’s incredibly difficult to create a seamless narrative thread when so many interconnected stories are present and so many characters play key roles. I struggled to keep up with the names of the women at times, and some of their stories blended together, which made it a bit harder to follow.

All in all, I’m so glad I read it. I felt deeply inspired by the determination of these seven women to create a better place for women in Denmark; and their conviction to do it without leaving anyone behind.

Special thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to this digital ARC.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this unique and fascinating insight into the Danish women’s movement of the 1970s, Pernille Ipsen offers a glimpse into her unique family life and the lingering effects of the feminist women’s camp and the women’s liberation movement on her childhood and on her mothers’ lives. Exploring women-only communal living spaces, the Women’s House, and the breadth of issues that women’s liberationists focused on, Ipsen recounts her mothers’ history, beliefs, passions, and political divisions and captures their individuality, depth, and shared experiences in this brilliantly unique new release. Offering deeply personal and fascinating insights into the Danish women’s movement, this book is a brilliant mix of research, primary documents, and interviews that academics and casual readers alike will appreciate, especially with the addition of so many photographs. The attention to detail is absolutely fantastic, and Ipsen’s writing style is engaging, complex, and well-written in ways which readers will really enjoy. The pacing and overall structure of the book is solid and keeps readers engaged with the larger narrative, and the amount of detail does not overwhelm readers. Fascinating, unique, and interesting, historians and gender studies scholars alike will really enjoy Pernille Ipsen’s entertaining and detailed book about her family and their relationship to this massive women’s movement.

Thanks to NetGalley and University of Minnesota Press for the advance copy.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is less a memoir, and more a personal history of some extraordinary women.

Ipsen’s mothers lived as a feminist commune in Denmark in the early 1970s. Through interviews and family history, she tells us the story of the Danish feminist movement through these women, who collectively made the decision to raise her as a community.

It was a wonderful balance, to hear about these social movements from someone so intimately tied to them, but also a step removed from those who were actually there. She doesn’t shy away from their conflicts and disagreements, but also gives plenty of credit and celebration to the gains made by the group.

Many of the conversations being had by these activists fifty years ago are conversations we are still having today, whereas some feel blindingly obvious and outdated. What this book did really well was lay out the concerns and nuances in these conversations, not disparaging the different viewpoints while still looking back with reflection.

This book is a valuable insight into the second-wave feminist movement, particularly in this part of the world, and is a heartfelt celebration of the lives these women led.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

[River riveeden Styx · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up because, in typical American fashion, I know nothing about most movements in other countries. I'm also very interested in commune living and non-traditional family set ups. While being billed as a memoir, this is more of a history of the Women’s Movement in Denmark with the focus on what the author’s mothers did as part of the movement. This results in a very intimate look at the important movement.

Told through a blend of multiple interviews Pernille did with six of her seven mothers and archival records, we are brought along for the formation, growth, and change of the Danish Women’s movement through the 1970’s. We also follow the Lesbian Movement alongside the Women’s Movement.

Overall the book was well written though there were some moments in the later half where the timeline wasn’t as clear. I appreciate when books like this focus on one story thread at a time and follow that along in time instead of sticking strictly chronological. That allows the reader to put the layers together and see a logical and well rounded view of the events and people we’re reading about.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My Seven Mothers" by Pernille Ipsen explores the lives of seven women who influenced Ipsen while she grew up in a Danish commune. It's not necessarily a memoir. It is told through a journalist lens. The backdrop is the women's movement in Denmark. Ipsen takes us through the women's movement in Denmark, how her seven mothers influenced/were influenced by the women's movement and how her birth impacted them. The book does a good job highlighting how different ideologies can impact a movement and how they can co-exist in lieu of a shared goal. Ipsen gives us personal profiles of the seven women through the use of interviews and experiences. I enjoyed it as an informative period piece but not necessarily a book I would read again.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book before its release.

[Kai Moore-Austen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am honoured to have had a chance to read the English translation of this book through NetGalley. Thank you to the author and publisher for this opportunity.

Wow this book was powerful! It took me a while to read, as I found myself needing to go back to repeat sentences and clarify which mother or other person was being referenced at times, but I think that actually led to a better understanding of the overall narrative. A really interesting look into the history of the women’s movement and the lesbian movement in Denmark, and I would highly recommend this to anyone else who may be curious about the topic. I am so glad to have the opportunity to read this and to know that the author was successfully persuaded to translate the work to English.

[Liz Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is and absolutely beautiful memoir about growing up during the women’s movement of the 70s in Denmark. It highlights the challenges of communal living, changing ideologies in an ever changing world, and explores what makes a family and also what makes a mother.

This is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Minnesota Press for the advanced copy!

[Tara Prince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting look at women's movements in the early 70s and how this particular group formed a commune to raise a child. I was fascinated by the ideas and the way they worked together. These were powerful women with such big dreams.

[Pernille Ipsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey! I am brand new to Goodreads and this is my book - a collective memoir about my seven mothers and their life together in the Danish women's movement in 1970s. It first came out in Danish in 2020 and changed my life. Brough my mothers and me together again and gave me the courage to start writing fulltime. Having lived in Madison, Wisconsin for 17 years, I am so excited to share this English translation of my story with my second (American) homeland. Yippee!