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Mother Is a Verb: An Unconventional History
Blending history and memoir, a beautiful and innovative portrait of motherhood
In Mother Is a Verb, a highly original interpretation of mothering, the writer, feminist and historian Sarah Knott weaves a tale that begins with her own story, as she grapples with whether to have a child, before expanding into maternity in other places and times. Knott structures the book to mirror the phases of pregnancy and early mothering, and covers everything from miscarriage to late-night feedings, from morning sickness to evolving terminologies. Though her own story is ever-present--we feel the baby on her hip, always at her side--Knott uses her present moment as a means of exploring the past, drawing on techniques from literary nonfiction and feminist maternal theory's embrace of anecdote. She builds a trellis of tiny scenes of mothering, using diaries, letters, reports, court records, conduct guides, clothing, and objects, as well as her own experiences. In so doing, Knott creates an unexpectedly moving and visceral depiction of mothering, past and present, as both a shared and an endlessly various human experience. Mothering, in her hands, is bodily but not merely biological.
In Mother Is a Verb, a highly original interpretation of mothering, the writer, feminist and historian Sarah Knott weaves a tale that begins with her own story, as she grapples with whether to have a child, before expanding into maternity in other places and times. Knott structures the book to mirror the phases of pregnancy and early mothering, and covers everything from miscarriage to late-night feedings, from morning sickness to evolving terminologies. Though her own story is ever-present--we feel the baby on her hip, always at her side--Knott uses her present moment as a means of exploring the past, drawing on techniques from literary nonfiction and feminist maternal theory's embrace of anecdote. She builds a trellis of tiny scenes of mothering, using diaries, letters, reports, court records, conduct guides, clothing, and objects, as well as her own experiences. In so doing, Knott creates an unexpectedly moving and visceral depiction of mothering, past and present, as both a shared and an endlessly various human experience. Mothering, in her hands, is bodily but not merely biological.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2019
92 people are currently reading
2288 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
April 21, 2019
Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to get a free copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is a wonderful, wonderful little book. I do not have children, and do not plan on having any either, I do however, love children and hearing about the experiences of pregnancy, labour and parenting so maybe I am well within the target demographic.
Last year I came across letters that were published in the early 20th century in a newspaper targeting Canadian prairie farmers in which women were asking advise of the agony aunt about mothering and family planning. These are the kind of voices that Knott was able to find in the archives, and unfortunately as she mentions, the histories of these women are very fragmented. Knott however, weaves these anecdotes beautifully with her own experience and the experience that would likely be familiar to contemporaries in Western Civilization.
I loved reading about the different theories and practices of mothering at various eras, but also appreciate that Knott looked outside of her own culture, citing practices of Indigenous peoples in Canada in the US for instance, where often these people and their practices have been derided in the past.
Mothering, and mother as a verb doesn't end with birth and so I wish we had a little bit more from Knott about mothering young children, but perhaps we can look forward to this in the future? (Fingers crossed - I'd love to read more of her story and the anecdotes that she can find in history for the same process).
Chapter 21 ended with an interesting comment in which Knott made clear that she was leery of feminism based on maternalism. I found this fascinating, and as a feminist I understand the danger of any school of thought that values women for their reproductive abilities above all else, I just wish Knott had touched on this more.
I think I may have to purchase myself a hard copy of this title to revisit it, and to go through Knott's extensive notes. I think this would also be a lovely gift for expectant mother, or the mother of young children.
This is a wonderful, wonderful little book. I do not have children, and do not plan on having any either, I do however, love children and hearing about the experiences of pregnancy, labour and parenting so maybe I am well within the target demographic.
Last year I came across letters that were published in the early 20th century in a newspaper targeting Canadian prairie farmers in which women were asking advise of the agony aunt about mothering and family planning. These are the kind of voices that Knott was able to find in the archives, and unfortunately as she mentions, the histories of these women are very fragmented. Knott however, weaves these anecdotes beautifully with her own experience and the experience that would likely be familiar to contemporaries in Western Civilization.
I loved reading about the different theories and practices of mothering at various eras, but also appreciate that Knott looked outside of her own culture, citing practices of Indigenous peoples in Canada in the US for instance, where often these people and their practices have been derided in the past.
Mothering, and mother as a verb doesn't end with birth and so I wish we had a little bit more from Knott about mothering young children, but perhaps we can look forward to this in the future? (Fingers crossed - I'd love to read more of her story and the anecdotes that she can find in history for the same process).
Chapter 21 ended with an interesting comment in which Knott made clear that she was leery of feminism based on maternalism. I found this fascinating, and as a feminist I understand the danger of any school of thought that values women for their reproductive abilities above all else, I just wish Knott had touched on this more.
I think I may have to purchase myself a hard copy of this title to revisit it, and to go through Knott's extensive notes. I think this would also be a lovely gift for expectant mother, or the mother of young children.
August 10, 2019
I was really excited to read about a history of motherhood through culture or thought so I was disappointed in this. There is some history, but mostly a bunch of quotes and motherhood and some vague and general notions about how it might have changed. The author weaves her own stories into the history, which is interesting, but I have a sense (and I wish this were not the case) that one cannot write about motherhood without cliche or convention anymore. Love, tiredness, unfamiliarity with your new body, and never wanting to be away from your child while being suffocated by her.
October 19, 2019
“The problem is, I didn’t read the small print.”
The quote - taken a bit out of context, I admit - best describes my relation to this book, because while reading it I kept questioning the use of the word “unconventional” in the title, since everything about it felt rather generic, too fragmentary, almost lacking in depth. The beginning was strong, promising historical facts and anecdotes, rather than having the author talk about nursing her intense, refluxy baby through sleepless nights…
Sarah Knott’s Mother can pretty much be summed up as follows:
“The history of mothering settles into me, too, awes and steadies and compels by turns. Those many verbs so remarkably dependent on time and place and person: conceiving, miscarrying, carrying, birthing, lying-in; and then, with a different range of characters, hearing tears, holding, seeing, smelling, being interrupted, sleeping, not sleeping, feeding, not knowing, seeking to find out, passing back and forth, providing …”
I hoped this would be the more academic, nonfiction equivalent of Sight by Jessie Greengrass, Motherhood by Sheila Heti, or Night Waking by Sarah Moss. Towards the end, it became as captivating as changing a nappy could ever be for me.
Not what I was expecting, yet I would still recommend it to those interested in a brief history of women’s labours.
2.5 stars
April 8, 2019
I am done, no longer just beginning and I already loved this book at the start. What might have been a dry academic study becomes alive as the author traces her own experiences through pregnancy and motherhood with evidence of how the West records the experiences of becoming and living mothering.
Sarah Knott parallels her experiences with pregnancy, miscarriage, birth, and infant and toddler care with four hundred years of documented mothering in Mother Is a Verb. British and living in the US, she has done a remarkable job of locating and respectfully reporting the mothering experiences from a wide range of race, sexual orientation, religion, class, and circumstance. Sarah Knott parallels her experiences with pregnancy, miscarriage, birth, and infant and toddler care with four hundred years of documented mothering.
Though most written records come from among the wealthy, Knott does not allow these entitled voices to overwhelm her narrative. Here are the perspectives of a 17th century English farmer, an early nineteenth century American slave, a Scottish midwife of a hundred years later, and the transcription of an Ojibwa mother of seventy years ago all on the same page. My friend Marilyn Chin is here, as is Adrienne Rich and a young mother union organizer advocating for women and their children in 1917—an astonishing range of voices.
DONE. This is clearly an academic work—witness over forty pages of notes at the back—but also a deeply personal and highly readable story of mothering and I hope Knott gains tenure as a result of it.
This is an ARC, and I do wish I had the index. I will likely buy it once it is released in hardcover. Smart and fascinating! I recommend it to mothers and mothers to-be. It will not answer all your questions, but it will provide reassurance that the confusion and fear is familiar to ancestresses throughout history.
Sarah Knott parallels her experiences with pregnancy, miscarriage, birth, and infant and toddler care with four hundred years of documented mothering in Mother Is a Verb. British and living in the US, she has done a remarkable job of locating and respectfully reporting the mothering experiences from a wide range of race, sexual orientation, religion, class, and circumstance. Sarah Knott parallels her experiences with pregnancy, miscarriage, birth, and infant and toddler care with four hundred years of documented mothering.
Though most written records come from among the wealthy, Knott does not allow these entitled voices to overwhelm her narrative. Here are the perspectives of a 17th century English farmer, an early nineteenth century American slave, a Scottish midwife of a hundred years later, and the transcription of an Ojibwa mother of seventy years ago all on the same page. My friend Marilyn Chin is here, as is Adrienne Rich and a young mother union organizer advocating for women and their children in 1917—an astonishing range of voices.
DONE. This is clearly an academic work—witness over forty pages of notes at the back—but also a deeply personal and highly readable story of mothering and I hope Knott gains tenure as a result of it.
This is an ARC, and I do wish I had the index. I will likely buy it once it is released in hardcover. Smart and fascinating! I recommend it to mothers and mothers to-be. It will not answer all your questions, but it will provide reassurance that the confusion and fear is familiar to ancestresses throughout history.
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October 4, 2025This is a history of the minutiae of pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering infants, told through anecdotes drawn from the archive and Knott's own experience. Each chapter hones in on very specific aspects these experiences—nursing, passing of the baby to another caretaker, sleep, etc. In many ways this is also a history of sensations—sleep deprivation, fabrics, and emotions.
Knott's own experience of motherhood and the historical record are pieced together through anecdotes. There's a note on method in at the end of the book which explains the use of anecdote to construct this history which partly due to the sparseness of the archive and also as a reflection of the nature of work and writing during early motherhood.
The book's greatest intervention is, of course, conceptualizing mothering as a verb—as actions taken within the context of one's culture and time rather than a fixed, transhistorical identity. This is one of the first (if not the first) histories of motherhood to combine experiences from the US and UK, including enslaved, indigenous, working class, and upper class people. Knott understands mothering as labor, which is perhaps now the predominate understanding, and reveals the extent to which other forms of labor must always take place alongside caring for a child.
A fascinating read, but at times I wanted more from Knott's experience and more about the actual practice of writing and researching the book. I found myself asking—what was it like to do the labor of history alongside the labor of motherhood? While this appears at points, it is not the central focus of the book. Of course, this is because the book is foremost an intervention in history, not historiography or the practice of doing history.
Knott's own experience of motherhood and the historical record are pieced together through anecdotes. There's a note on method in at the end of the book which explains the use of anecdote to construct this history which partly due to the sparseness of the archive and also as a reflection of the nature of work and writing during early motherhood.
The book's greatest intervention is, of course, conceptualizing mothering as a verb—as actions taken within the context of one's culture and time rather than a fixed, transhistorical identity. This is one of the first (if not the first) histories of motherhood to combine experiences from the US and UK, including enslaved, indigenous, working class, and upper class people. Knott understands mothering as labor, which is perhaps now the predominate understanding, and reveals the extent to which other forms of labor must always take place alongside caring for a child.
A fascinating read, but at times I wanted more from Knott's experience and more about the actual practice of writing and researching the book. I found myself asking—what was it like to do the labor of history alongside the labor of motherhood? While this appears at points, it is not the central focus of the book. Of course, this is because the book is foremost an intervention in history, not historiography or the practice of doing history.
February 15, 2023
雖然書在一開始就說，關於母親這個身份的歷史紀錄很少，但這本書畢竟叫作「母親的歷史」，因此多少會有所期待，希望能看到歷史上不同時期的母親所扮演的不同風貌以及心理狀態的變化。但是這本書是從作者自己懷孕到生產、照顧嬰兒的歷程為全書架構，中間穿插歷史上面對同樣情境的有趣見聞，比起讀一本介紹歷史的書，更像是閱讀作者於育兒過程中，自我省思、查找相關資料的筆記本。如果還沒為人母，共鳴度很低，讀起來偏雜。
June 10, 2019
Erinomainen historiankirjoitus äitiydestä. Tai: aihetta on vaikea kääntää, sillä kirjan nimessä oleva "mother" on verbi. Mitä se olisi suomeksi? Äitinä oleminen? Mutta kun kyse ei ole olemisesta, vaan tekemisestä. Hoivaaminen ei taas tavoita asian erityisyyttä.
No, joka tapauksessa. Sarah Knott on kirjoittanut minun makuuni aikalailla täydellistä historiallista tutkimusta: upean spesifiä ja samaan aikaan moninaista. Knott ei niinkään yleistä vaan avaa yksityisten ja yksittäisten kokemusten kautta yleismaailmallista asiaa - äidiksi tulemista, äitinä olemista, äitiyden tekemistä - joka on kuitenkin aina paikka-, aika- ja kulttuurisidonnaista. Vanhemmuudessa mikään ei ole universaalia, paitsi tavallaan kaikki on.
Knott lähestyy aihettaan kahden aineiston kautta: yhtäältä pohjoisamerikkalaisen ja brittiläisen historiallisen aineiston (päiväkirjat, kirjeet, lehtikirjoitukset, esineistö, jne.) ja toisaalta oman äidiksi tulemisensa/olemisensa kautta. Kirja ei siis pelkästään tavoita menneiden aikojen äitiyttä, vaan myös omat fyysiset, henkiset, biologiset ja ruumiilliset kokemuksensa. Historiallinen aineisto ei onneksi ole pelkästään valkoinen ja (ylempi)keskiluokkainen, vaan mukana on niin Yhdysvaltojen mustien orjien kuin Pohjois-Amerikan alkuperäiskansojen äitien kokemuksia. Kuva on niin moninainen, kuin ymmärrettävällä aineiston rajauksella on mahdollista.
Erinomainen kirja kaikin puolin.
(Kuuntelin tätä näköjään kaksi kuukautta, mutta se johtuu pitkälti siitä että vaihdoin työmatkavälineen metrosta polkupyörään, eikä minulle ole pyöräilyyn sopivia kuulokkeita.)
No, joka tapauksessa. Sarah Knott on kirjoittanut minun makuuni aikalailla täydellistä historiallista tutkimusta: upean spesifiä ja samaan aikaan moninaista. Knott ei niinkään yleistä vaan avaa yksityisten ja yksittäisten kokemusten kautta yleismaailmallista asiaa - äidiksi tulemista, äitinä olemista, äitiyden tekemistä - joka on kuitenkin aina paikka-, aika- ja kulttuurisidonnaista. Vanhemmuudessa mikään ei ole universaalia, paitsi tavallaan kaikki on.
Knott lähestyy aihettaan kahden aineiston kautta: yhtäältä pohjoisamerikkalaisen ja brittiläisen historiallisen aineiston (päiväkirjat, kirjeet, lehtikirjoitukset, esineistö, jne.) ja toisaalta oman äidiksi tulemisensa/olemisensa kautta. Kirja ei siis pelkästään tavoita menneiden aikojen äitiyttä, vaan myös omat fyysiset, henkiset, biologiset ja ruumiilliset kokemuksensa. Historiallinen aineisto ei onneksi ole pelkästään valkoinen ja (ylempi)keskiluokkainen, vaan mukana on niin Yhdysvaltojen mustien orjien kuin Pohjois-Amerikan alkuperäiskansojen äitien kokemuksia. Kuva on niin moninainen, kuin ymmärrettävällä aineiston rajauksella on mahdollista.
Erinomainen kirja kaikin puolin.
(Kuuntelin tätä näköjään kaksi kuukautta, mutta se johtuu pitkälti siitä että vaihdoin työmatkavälineen metrosta polkupyörään, eikä minulle ole pyöräilyyn sopivia kuulokkeita.)
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February 8, 2022°Mother is a verb. It's something you do. Not just who you are.°
Το "Μητέρες: μια αντισυμβατική ιστορία" της Sarah Knott είναι το πρώτο μαμαδοβιβλίο που διάβασα. Δεν πρόκειται για έναν οδηγό ανατροφής, αλλά για μια ιστορική μελέτη -επιστημονικό σύγγραμμα σχεδόν- για το πώς βίωναν την μητρότητα, από τον 15ο αιώνα έως και τις μέρες μας, γυναίκες όλων των κοινωνικών τάξεων στην Αμερική και την Αγγλία.
Η συγγραφέας, συνειδητοποιώντας το κενό που υπάρχει στην ιστορική έρευνα πάνω στο θέμα αυτό, επιχειρεί μια χρονολογική καταγραφή της ιστορίας της μητρότητας και αξιοποιεί στο έργο της τις ελάχιστες καταγραφές που μπόρεσε να βρει, ιστορικές πηγές, απομνημονεύματα, προσωπικές αφηγήσεις και επιστολές, ακόμη και δικαστικά αρχεία.
Καταπιάνεται με όλα τα ζητήματα που απασχολούν τις νέες, αλλά και τις πιο έμπειρες μητέρες, όπως η εγκυμοσύνη, ο τοκετός, ο θηλασμός, η ανατροφή του βρέφους και πρωτίστως, το πώς και εάν μπορεί να συνδυαστεί η νέα, μητρική ταυτότητα με τον παλιό εαυτό.
Μέσα από το βιβλίο αυτό, γίνεται σαφές πόσο μεταβλητή και διαφορετική σε πρώτο επίπεδο, αλλά κοινή στον πυρήνα της είναι η εμπειρία της μητρότητας για όλες τις γυναίκες ανεξαρτήτως χωροχρονικού πλαισίου, φυλής και τάξης. Μια συνειδητοποίηση χρήσιμη σε κάθε νέα μητέρα, που θα τη βοηθήσει να δει υπό άλλο πρίσμα τις δυσκολίες που συνοδεύουν τον νέο αυτό ρόλο!
Το "Μητέρες: μια αντισυμβατική ιστορία" της Sarah Knott είναι το πρώτο μαμαδοβιβλίο που διάβασα. Δεν πρόκειται για έναν οδηγό ανατροφής, αλλά για μια ιστορική μελέτη -επιστημονικό σύγγραμμα σχεδόν- για το πώς βίωναν την μητρότητα, από τον 15ο αιώνα έως και τις μέρες μας, γυναίκες όλων των κοινωνικών τάξεων στην Αμερική και την Αγγλία.
Η συγγραφέας, συνειδητοποιώντας το κενό που υπάρχει στην ιστορική έρευνα πάνω στο θέμα αυτό, επιχειρεί μια χρονολογική καταγραφή της ιστορίας της μητρότητας και αξιοποιεί στο έργο της τις ελάχιστες καταγραφές που μπόρεσε να βρει, ιστορικές πηγές, απομνημονεύματα, προσωπικές αφηγήσεις και επιστολές, ακόμη και δικαστικά αρχεία.
Καταπιάνεται με όλα τα ζητήματα που απασχολούν τις νέες, αλλά και τις πιο έμπειρες μητέρες, όπως η εγκυμοσύνη, ο τοκετός, ο θηλασμός, η ανατροφή του βρέφους και πρωτίστως, το πώς και εάν μπορεί να συνδυαστεί η νέα, μητρική ταυτότητα με τον παλιό εαυτό.
Μέσα από το βιβλίο αυτό, γίνεται σαφές πόσο μεταβλητή και διαφορετική σε πρώτο επίπεδο, αλλά κοινή στον πυρήνα της είναι η εμπειρία της μητρότητας για όλες τις γυναίκες ανεξαρτήτως χωροχρονικού πλαισίου, φυλής και τάξης. Μια συνειδητοποίηση χρήσιμη σε κάθε νέα μητέρα, που θα τη βοηθήσει να δει υπό άλλο πρίσμα τις δυσκολίες που συνοδεύουν τον νέο αυτό ρόλο!
March 24, 2019
I just finished reading this book....fantastic...wonderful.....relatable. A beautiful and honest take on motherhood. Eloquent, well researched, poetic and vital. I felt so many things for this book because it was so well written. I'd read a few lines....stop....and just ponder. I'd read a few lines...and it will go on for pages and pages until I realized I could not put the book down. I don't believe you have to be a mother to appreciate this book. I believe that you just have to appreciate the role of mothers, the sacrifices of mothers, the dynamic force that is a mother.
Lovely read. I enjoyed it very much.
Thanks to the peeps at goodreads and to Sarah Knott for my free copy of this book via "win". I received. I read. I will review this book honestly and voluntarily.
Lovely read. I enjoyed it very much.
Thanks to the peeps at goodreads and to Sarah Knott for my free copy of this book via "win". I received. I read. I will review this book honestly and voluntarily.
February 24, 2019
What a treasure. This is "What to Expect When You're Expecting" for historians and academias. Sarah Knott has a formal writing style that I appreciated. She writes this fact-filled stroll through the history and stages of motherhood as if writing a descriptive novel. She injects her personal anecdotes, making it modern and relatable also. I found myself switching from the book to research often to dive deeper into concepts I hadn't previously heard, such as "flirking like a flounder". The book gives a comprehensive view of motherhood spanning ages. I found myself questioning what have we lost and what have we gained through all these changes. It's a meticulously researched work. With so much information to cover, this could have easily been published as a dry text book, but Sarah Knott is more than a historian, and her delightful literary skills make this an enjoyable read. Well done.
This will be a great gift to any expecting mother.
This will be a great gift to any expecting mother.
November 27, 2019
I wanted to like this book. The topic and approach (and title) all appeared engaging, but I found the book itself incredibly hard work for something pitched as not-necessarily academic. The organization seemed forced and prose was hard going to the point of being cryptic. I love when an academic writer can transition to more popular history, because it means history that is not yet another biography or chronological sequence of a war. Unfortunately, the transition, at least in this instance, was rough if not incomplete.
September 13, 2019
A thoroughly readable story of experimental history. Knott is mother and historian and mother historian all at once, weaving her personal experiences together with historical anecdotes gleaned wherever archives allowed. From before conception, through pregnancy, to the early years of childcare, each chapter traces perennial concerns and the local/temporal work of mothers around the world.
November 24, 2019
A very thorough, but undeniably middle-class, look at motherhood. There were some real insights, but it did feel that more could have been explored in terms of culture.
August 30, 2019
She’s an excellent writer, and the historical anecdotes she uses are very interesting. The book, however, is about half personal memoir and half history, and the blend doesn’t work as well as I had hoped. I love raspberries, and I love beer, but I don’t love raspberry beer.
May 22, 2025
Deeply moving, fascinating, and beautifully written. A very powerful book. I wish it had a slightly wider historical eye (it's Britain and North America from the 17th century onwards, basically), but that's purely my own greed. I like the book and the way of looking at the present and the past so much that I want more of it.
February 4, 2022
Baca buku "Mother is a Verb" by Sarah Knott ini seperti belajar motherhood history through ppl's diary, dengan alur maju mundur sejak tahun 1600an hingga masa kini--dari pengalaman author sendiri
Beberapa poin menarik yang saya dapat dari buku ini, antara lain:
● Esensi menjadi "ibu" ternyata sama aja dari zaman dulu sampai sekarang. Buat yang udah mengalami, buku ini bisa bikin segala mix feeling sebagai ibu seperti tervalidasi --> apalagi saya masih ngalamin 'interupsi' keseharian dari R, si baby 9 bulan yang bikin love-hate relationship dengan infancy stage. Well...you can love your baby dearly but at the same time it's a really challenging phase, rite?
● Most past societies prefer boys. Ini kayaknya jadi akar patriarki sampai hari ini. Ketika dikasih pilihan secara binary atau ketika cuma bisa punya 1 anak, ppl tend to still choose a boy.
● Takhayul ga cuman berlaku di negeri +62. Ternyata ini juga lumrah di masyarakat barat...mereka percaya untuk hindari disfigured person at circus, atau snake house at the zoo.
● The beginning of Child Study and how clueless ppl with baby centuries ago. Astagaa ini nih...ibu zaman sekarang dipikir2 jauh dimudahkan saat butuh info: tinggal googling dan sumber literatur banyak.
● Inequality antar ibu dari masa slavery, wet nurses, sampai sekarang. Ada beberapa part yang cukup bikin heart wrenching...dulu saya ga kebayang gimana wet nurses bisa nyusuin 3 bayi sekaligus (termasuk bayinya sendiri) demi bisa tetap makan karena badannya belum bisa dipakai kerja berat, atau saat ibu di masa lalu punya anak banyak karena cuma sedikit yang bisa bertahan sampai dewasa.
Overall, buku non fiksi ini eksploratif dan alur penceritaannya mengalir hingga beberapa kali otomatis 'memaksa' saya berkontemplasi dengan detail motherhood yang dijabarkan.
Beberapa poin menarik yang saya dapat dari buku ini, antara lain:
● Esensi menjadi "ibu" ternyata sama aja dari zaman dulu sampai sekarang. Buat yang udah mengalami, buku ini bisa bikin segala mix feeling sebagai ibu seperti tervalidasi --> apalagi saya masih ngalamin 'interupsi' keseharian dari R, si baby 9 bulan yang bikin love-hate relationship dengan infancy stage. Well...you can love your baby dearly but at the same time it's a really challenging phase, rite?
● Most past societies prefer boys. Ini kayaknya jadi akar patriarki sampai hari ini. Ketika dikasih pilihan secara binary atau ketika cuma bisa punya 1 anak, ppl tend to still choose a boy.
● Takhayul ga cuman berlaku di negeri +62. Ternyata ini juga lumrah di masyarakat barat...mereka percaya untuk hindari disfigured person at circus, atau snake house at the zoo.
● The beginning of Child Study and how clueless ppl with baby centuries ago. Astagaa ini nih...ibu zaman sekarang dipikir2 jauh dimudahkan saat butuh info: tinggal googling dan sumber literatur banyak.
● Inequality antar ibu dari masa slavery, wet nurses, sampai sekarang. Ada beberapa part yang cukup bikin heart wrenching...dulu saya ga kebayang gimana wet nurses bisa nyusuin 3 bayi sekaligus (termasuk bayinya sendiri) demi bisa tetap makan karena badannya belum bisa dipakai kerja berat, atau saat ibu di masa lalu punya anak banyak karena cuma sedikit yang bisa bertahan sampai dewasa.
Overall, buku non fiksi ini eksploratif dan alur penceritaannya mengalir hingga beberapa kali otomatis 'memaksa' saya berkontemplasi dengan detail motherhood yang dijabarkan.
March 30, 2021
Το παρόν πόνημα της ιστορικού και μητέρας Sarah Knott "Μητέρες, μια αντισυμβατική ιστορία", εντάσσεται στην ιστοριογραφική σχολή των Annales, στο πλαίσιο συγγραφής, δηλαδή, της κοινωνικής ιστορίας και της ιστορίας της καθημερινότητας.
Η ιστορία, λοιπόν, αυτή, αποκαλείται αντισυμβατική, εφόσον δεν ασχολείται με πολιτικοστρατιωτικά γεγονότα, όπως συμβαίνει συνήθως στις ιστορικές αφηγήσεις, αλλά αντιθέτως, περιέχει πολλές μικρές αποσπασματικές ιστορίες της καθημερινότητας από τον 17ο ως τον 20ο αιώνα για πολλά μέρη του κόσμου, με επίκεντρο ένα πρόσωπο κομβικό πρόσωπο για όλες τις κοινωνίες, τη μητέρα.
Η συγγραφέας, αξιοποιεί η ίδια την εμπειρία της ως νέα μητέρα και μας τη μεταφέρει στο βιβλίο, παράλληλα με τα πορίσματα των, αποσπασματικών, όπως μας λέει, ερευνών της, σχετικά με τη φύση της μητρότητας από τον 17ο αιώνα ανά τον κόσμο και μετά.
Πρόκειται για μία έρευνα δύσκολη και ελλιπή, αφού τα αρχεία που αφορούν τις μητέρες είναι κατά κανόνα αποσπασματικά, οπότε η ιστορικός πρέπει να ανασυνθέσει μόνη της πολλά κομμάτια που λείπουν από το παζλ. Η συγγραφέας όμως τα συγκεντρώνει με αξιοπρόσεκτη επιμονή και τα ενσωματώνει ομαλά στον κορμό της ρέουσας αφήγησής της που κυλάει τόσο φυσικά σαν το γάλα στο στήθος μιας πρωτόγεννης μητέρας.
Η δομή του βιβλίου ακολουθεί την πορεία της δημιουργίας της νέας ζωής, από τη σύλληψη ως τον απογαλακτισμό. Τι πίστευαν κατά τις παλαιότερες εποχές για την υπέρτατη στιγμή της δημιουργίας μίας νέας ζωής μέσα στο σώμα της νέας μητέρας; Πώς καταλάβαινε μία γυναίκα ότι περίμενε παιδί κατά τις παλαιότερες εποχές; Η συγγραφέας χρησιμοποιεί κατά κανόνα παραδείγματα από τις ΗΠΑ και την Αγγλία του 17ου αιώνα και εξής, παραθέτει, όμως, επίσης και τις προφορικές εμπειρίες από κάποιες φυλές Ινδιάνων και ιθαγενών.
Οι εμπειρίες που αποκομίζει στη σημερινή εποχή η συγγραφέας ως εγκυμονούσα αντιπαραβάλλονται με τις εμπειρίες των γυναικών στις παλαιότερες εποχές. Ακολουθεί η παράθεση της εμπειρίας από τους τελευταίους μήνες της εγκυμοσύνης και ο τοκετός. Στη συνέχεια το σαράντισμα, οι δοξασίες που συνόδευαν τις γυναίκες που μόλις είχαν γεννήσει, καθώς και ο τρόπος με τον οποίο άλλαζε ριζικά η ζωή της νέας μητέρας με το μωρό και τον θηλασμό. Για τον θηλασμό, τις δυσκολίες του, καθώς και την αϋπνία με την οποία έρχονταν αντιμέτωπες οι νέες μητέρες, έχουν σωθεί θραύσματα από γράμματα νέων μητέρων που έμειναν στη μέση διότι αυτές δεν πρόλαβαν να τα ολοκληρώσουν, προφανώς επειδή έκλαιγε το μωρό και τις διέκοψε! Αυτά τα αποσπάσματα γραμμάτων η συγγραφέας τα παραθέτει αυτούσια πολλές φορές κατά την πορεία της αφήγησης. Ο θηλασμός, επιπροσθέτως, ήταν και ένα φαινόμενο το οποίο γνώρισε ακμή και παρακμή σε διάφορες εποχές ανάλογα με το κατά πόσον ήταν ή όχι αυτός στη μόδα της κοινωνίας στην οποία ανήκε η νέα μητέρα.
Εκτός όμως από την εξερεύνηση του συναισθηματικού κόσμου των νέων μητέρων και την οπτική που είχε η κοινωνία σε αυτές, η συγγραφέας εξερευνά και τα πρακτικά ζητήματα που συνδέονταν- και συνδέονται ακόμη βέβαια- με τη μητρότητα. Πόσο συμμετείχε ο πατέρας, οι γιαγιάδες ή άλλα πρόσωπα στη φροντίδα του μωρού; Πώς γινόταν το πλύσιμο των ρούχων και των υφασμάτινων πάμπερ του μωρού; Ποιες κοινωνίες και πότε είχαν τις γκουβερνάντες ως απαραίτητο "αξεσουάρ" στην ανατροφή του μωρού; Πώς τα έβγαζαν πέρα οι νέες μητέρες μετά την επιστροφή τους στην εργασία; Ποια αντικείμενα που είχαν παλαιότερα για τα μωρά υπάρχουν ακόμη και σήμερα παραλλαγμένα; Και, τέλος, τι γινόταν με τον ερχομό του δεύτερου παιδιού στην οικογένεια και πώς ακριβώς άλλαζε αυτό τις νέες ισορροπίες της οικογένειας;
Όταν η S.K. φτάνει στο τέλος του βιβλίου της, τα δικά της μωρά έχουν πλέον ξεπεταχτεί και η δική της έρευνα έχει πια ολοκληρωθεί. Η ίδια μας λέει ότι αισθάνεται διαφορετικά τώρα που έχει ερευνήσει διεξοδικά το παρελθόν τόσων πολλών διαφορετικών μητέρων που πέρασαν από τη γη μας. Είναι πιο πλούσια σε εμπειρίες και είναι σε θ��ση να καταλάβει καλύτερα κάποια πράγματα τα οποία αφορούν τη μητρότητα. Αυτό ακριβώς θα αποκομίσει και ο αναγνώστης, και ειδικά οι μητέρες, μετά την ανάγνωση του εν λόγω πονήματος. Μία πληρότητα και μία αίσθηση ευχαρίστησης και θαλπωρής, η οποία συνδέεται μόνο με την ζεστή και πλατιά αγκαλιά μιας νέας μητέρας που χωρά όχι μόνο το δικό της, μα όλα τα μωρά του κόσμου.
Η ιστορία, λοιπόν, αυτή, αποκαλείται αντισυμβατική, εφόσον δεν ασχολείται με πολιτικοστρατιωτικά γεγονότα, όπως συμβαίνει συνήθως στις ιστορικές αφηγήσεις, αλλά αντιθέτως, περιέχει πολλές μικρές αποσπασματικές ιστορίες της καθημερινότητας από τον 17ο ως τον 20ο αιώνα για πολλά μέρη του κόσμου, με επίκεντρο ένα πρόσωπο κομβικό πρόσωπο για όλες τις κοινωνίες, τη μητέρα.
Η συγγραφέας, αξιοποιεί η ίδια την εμπειρία της ως νέα μητέρα και μας τη μεταφέρει στο βιβλίο, παράλληλα με τα πορίσματα των, αποσπασματικών, όπως μας λέει, ερευνών της, σχετικά με τη φύση της μητρότητας από τον 17ο αιώνα ανά τον κόσμο και μετά.
Πρόκειται για μία έρευνα δύσκολη και ελλιπή, αφού τα αρχεία που αφορούν τις μητέρες είναι κατά κανόνα αποσπασματικά, οπότε η ιστορικός πρέπει να ανασυνθέσει μόνη της πολλά κομμάτια που λείπουν από το παζλ. Η συγγραφέας όμως τα συγκεντρώνει με αξιοπρόσεκτη επιμονή και τα ενσωματώνει ομαλά στον κορμό της ρέουσας αφήγησής της που κυλάει τόσο φυσικά σαν το γάλα στο στήθος μιας πρωτόγεννης μητέρας.
Η δομή του βιβλίου ακολουθεί την πορεία της δημιουργίας της νέας ζωής, από τη σύλληψη ως τον απογαλακτισμό. Τι πίστευαν κατά τις παλαιότερες εποχές για την υπέρτατη στιγμή της δημιουργίας μίας νέας ζωής μέσα στο σώμα της νέας μητέρας; Πώς καταλάβαινε μία γυναίκα ότι περίμενε παιδί κατά τις παλαιότερες εποχές; Η συγγραφέας χρησιμοποιεί κατά κανόνα παραδείγματα από τις ΗΠΑ και την Αγγλία του 17ου αιώνα και εξής, παραθέτει, όμως, επίσης και τις προφορικές εμπειρίες από κάποιες φυλές Ινδιάνων και ιθαγενών.
Οι εμπειρίες που αποκομίζει στη σημερινή εποχή η συγγραφέας ως εγκυμονούσα αντιπαραβάλλονται με τις εμπειρίες των γυναικών στις παλαιότερες εποχές. Ακολουθεί η παράθεση της εμπειρίας από τους τελευταίους μήνες της εγκυμοσύνης και ο τοκετός. Στη συνέχεια το σαράντισμα, οι δοξασίες που συνόδευαν τις γυναίκες που μόλις είχαν γεννήσει, καθώς και ο τρόπος με τον οποίο άλλαζε ριζικά η ζωή της νέας μητέρας με το μωρό και τον θηλασμό. Για τον θηλασμό, τις δυσκολίες του, καθώς και την αϋπνία με την οποία έρχονταν αντιμέτωπες οι νέες μητέρες, έχουν σωθεί θραύσματα από γράμματα νέων μητέρων που έμειναν στη μέση διότι αυτές δεν πρόλαβαν να τα ολοκληρώσουν, προφανώς επειδή έκλαιγε το μωρό και τις διέκοψε! Αυτά τα αποσπάσματα γραμμάτων η συγγραφέας τα παραθέτει αυτούσια πολλές φορές κατά την πορεία της αφήγησης. Ο θηλασμός, επιπροσθέτως, ήταν και ένα φαινόμενο το οποίο γνώρισε ακμή και παρακμή σε διάφορες εποχές ανάλογα με το κατά πόσον ήταν ή όχι αυτός στη μόδα της κοινωνίας στην οποία ανήκε η νέα μητέρα.
Εκτός όμως από την εξερεύνηση του συναισθηματικού κόσμου των νέων μητέρων και την οπτική που είχε η κοινωνία σε αυτές, η συγγραφέας εξερευνά και τα πρακτικά ζητήματα που συνδέονταν- και συνδέονται ακόμη βέβαια- με τη μητρότητα. Πόσο συμμετείχε ο πατέρας, οι γιαγιάδες ή άλλα πρόσωπα στη φροντίδα του μωρού; Πώς γινόταν το πλύσιμο των ρούχων και των υφασμάτινων πάμπερ του μωρού; Ποιες κοινωνίες και πότε είχαν τις γκουβερνάντες ως απαραίτητο "αξεσουάρ" στην ανατροφή του μωρού; Πώς τα έβγαζαν πέρα οι νέες μητέρες μετά την επιστροφή τους στην εργασία; Ποια αντικείμενα που είχαν παλαιότερα για τα μωρά υπάρχουν ακόμη και σήμερα παραλλαγμένα; Και, τέλος, τι γινόταν με τον ερχομό του δεύτερου παιδιού στην οικογένεια και πώς ακριβώς άλλαζε αυτό τις νέες ισορροπίες της οικογένειας;
Όταν η S.K. φτάνει στο τέλος του βιβλίου της, τα δικά της μωρά έχουν πλέον ξεπεταχτεί και η δική της έρευνα έχει πια ολοκληρωθεί. Η ίδια μας λέει ότι αισθάνεται διαφορετικά τώρα που έχει ερευνήσει διεξοδικά το παρελθόν τόσων πολλών διαφορετικών μητέρων που πέρασαν από τη γη μας. Είναι πιο πλούσια σε εμπειρίες και είναι σε θ��ση να καταλάβει καλύτερα κάποια πράγματα τα οποία αφορούν τη μητρότητα. Αυτό ακριβώς θα αποκομίσει και ο αναγνώστης, και ειδικά οι μητέρες, μετά την ανάγνωση του εν λόγω πονήματος. Μία πληρότητα και μία αίσθηση ευχαρίστησης και θαλπωρής, η οποία συνδέεται μόνο με την ζεστή και πλατιά αγκαλιά μιας νέας μητέρας που χωρά όχι μόνο το δικό της, μα όλα τα μωρά του κόσμου.
September 4, 2019
Timely and fascinating investigation and examination of what it means to be a mother--from the early 15th century through present-day.
MOTHER IS A VERB: An Unconventional History (FSG/Sarah Crichton Books) by Sarah Knott is such a sweeping piece of historical, personal, and lyrical research. It begins with the author's decision to have children, and thus an examination of who has children and who doesn't. This is a keenly researched book that is part-memoir, part-history lesson, and to some, it might come across as academic (Knott is, by profession, a college professor). That said, I found the anecdotes and archives presented fascinating and intriguing.
The structure of MOTHER IS A VERB is not linear, but rather divided into topics from pregnancy, quickening, miscarriage, labor/delivery, early days, sleeping infants (sleeping parents), including co-sleeping (or not), types of beds, feeding/breastfeeding/other types of nourishment, clothing, and even welcoming the second child. Scattered throughout the narrative are glimpses of the author's mothering journey, which I felt helped to personalize historical context.
Knott's writing is scholarly at times, but also companionable. It's lyrical and at times, too. I had to stop reading so I could sit back and ponder her ideas and research (which is very thorough and eloquent). In fact, this would make an excellent text for a women's study type college/graduate class, or the like. I could reference this book time again and learn (retain) something new.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please visit: www.leslielindsay.com|Always with a Book.
MOTHER IS A VERB: An Unconventional History (FSG/Sarah Crichton Books) by Sarah Knott is such a sweeping piece of historical, personal, and lyrical research. It begins with the author's decision to have children, and thus an examination of who has children and who doesn't. This is a keenly researched book that is part-memoir, part-history lesson, and to some, it might come across as academic (Knott is, by profession, a college professor). That said, I found the anecdotes and archives presented fascinating and intriguing.
The structure of MOTHER IS A VERB is not linear, but rather divided into topics from pregnancy, quickening, miscarriage, labor/delivery, early days, sleeping infants (sleeping parents), including co-sleeping (or not), types of beds, feeding/breastfeeding/other types of nourishment, clothing, and even welcoming the second child. Scattered throughout the narrative are glimpses of the author's mothering journey, which I felt helped to personalize historical context.
Knott's writing is scholarly at times, but also companionable. It's lyrical and at times, too. I had to stop reading so I could sit back and ponder her ideas and research (which is very thorough and eloquent). In fact, this would make an excellent text for a women's study type college/graduate class, or the like. I could reference this book time again and learn (retain) something new.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please visit: www.leslielindsay.com|Always with a Book.
August 19, 2025
"Mother is a Verb: An Unconventional History" by Sarah Knott is both an autobiographical account of the author's journey through motherhood as well as a historical exploration of what it meant to 'mother' across the ages. The author, a historian, intermixes her own present-day experiences with those of the past. One moment you are listening to her detail her late-night feeding thoughts and emotions, the next you are hearing from a 19th century mother through her written journal entries.
The writing is very lyrical which adds a dream-like quality to the stories where time ceases to exist and universal mothering is celebrated. Note the use of 'mothering' not 'motherhood' as the focus of the author is on the verb, not the person. Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents and Communities are brought into the conversation as the author explored their theories, their anectodes and their practices. I especially enjoyed learning about the Indigenous peoples of Canada and the US.
The only thing that would've made this an even better read is if non-western cultures were explored. While the book does feature many cultures, I don't think there were any from the middle east, Africa or Asia. That being said, I also understand that it's impossible to ignore more without potentially making the book too unwieldly.
This is a wonderful celebration of mothering and history. An invitation to look beyond the wars, the battles and the 'big' events of the past. It's those more intimate moments and relationships that truly shape humanity. Those are the ones that the book brings to focus.
You can also find me on: Instagram
The writing is very lyrical which adds a dream-like quality to the stories where time ceases to exist and universal mothering is celebrated. Note the use of 'mothering' not 'motherhood' as the focus of the author is on the verb, not the person. Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents and Communities are brought into the conversation as the author explored their theories, their anectodes and their practices. I especially enjoyed learning about the Indigenous peoples of Canada and the US.
The only thing that would've made this an even better read is if non-western cultures were explored. While the book does feature many cultures, I don't think there were any from the middle east, Africa or Asia. That being said, I also understand that it's impossible to ignore more without potentially making the book too unwieldly.
This is a wonderful celebration of mothering and history. An invitation to look beyond the wars, the battles and the 'big' events of the past. It's those more intimate moments and relationships that truly shape humanity. Those are the ones that the book brings to focus.
You can also find me on: Instagram
October 23, 2020
'Mother' is a fascinating essay on the history of mothering. I loved the author's approach of the word 'mother' as a verb: it gave scope to explore all sorts of experiences, such as non-biological mother figures, people to whom mothering was / is outsourced (nursery maids, wet nurses, childminders) and trans men who give birth.
I also loved Sarah Knott's decision to share her own journey as a mother and use each major step, from having sex to deciding on a second child, as a starting point to explore a range of ways, traditions, methods and experiences across Britain and North America, from the 17th century to the present.
It's a history made up of anecdotes, gathered through a wide variety of testimonies, letters, diaries and a little, recent, sociological research. As such, it feels a bit disjointed at times, but it's not the author's fault that there is so little existing research into women's history. What she managed to pull together makes for fascinating reading.
I really appreciated her efforts to represent minorities such as Native American mothers and enslaved black mothers and caregivers, on whom there are even fewer records than on their white contemporaries.
The whole makes for a rich, insightful and diverse piece of work on an aspect of life that's very relatable to me. It's lovely to find a history book that's relevant and accessible. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated very competently but a tad blandly.
I also loved Sarah Knott's decision to share her own journey as a mother and use each major step, from having sex to deciding on a second child, as a starting point to explore a range of ways, traditions, methods and experiences across Britain and North America, from the 17th century to the present.
It's a history made up of anecdotes, gathered through a wide variety of testimonies, letters, diaries and a little, recent, sociological research. As such, it feels a bit disjointed at times, but it's not the author's fault that there is so little existing research into women's history. What she managed to pull together makes for fascinating reading.
I really appreciated her efforts to represent minorities such as Native American mothers and enslaved black mothers and caregivers, on whom there are even fewer records than on their white contemporaries.
The whole makes for a rich, insightful and diverse piece of work on an aspect of life that's very relatable to me. It's lovely to find a history book that's relevant and accessible. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated very competently but a tad blandly.
September 7, 2024
When I became a mother and struggled with all the dilemmas and uncertainties of this new phase of my life, I started wondering how women dealt with this in the past. I looked for books that could tell me more about the history of motherhood, and this is one of the few I could find. I did not love the book as much as I thought I would, but, very importantly, I learnt why we know so little about it. There are simply no primary sources. Getting pregnant, bearing children, giving birth, breastfeeding etc have been taboo until a few decades ago.
This book offers some insights into how women approached and lived motherhood by analyzing the few existing letters and written notes. Even those ones are very uptight, however... I realized after reading this book that even my grandmother would not give too many details about her experience, despite my asking.
The style is just not what I like. Too "suggestive", too many personal reflections, I was looking for more matter-of-fact. But perhaps it's the only way to write a book like this. So overall I feel this book was a good attempt at a highly complex topic.
This book offers some insights into how women approached and lived motherhood by analyzing the few existing letters and written notes. Even those ones are very uptight, however... I realized after reading this book that even my grandmother would not give too many details about her experience, despite my asking.
The style is just not what I like. Too "suggestive", too many personal reflections, I was looking for more matter-of-fact. But perhaps it's the only way to write a book like this. So overall I feel this book was a good attempt at a highly complex topic.
June 30, 2019
Sex. Rape. Conception. Miscarriage. Quickening. Labor. Motherhood. Recovering. Sleep. Breastfeeding. Second (child).
.
Mother is a Verb covers more than just what it’s like to parent; it goes into the history of many topics of concern to feminism and those debating whether or not to become a parent.
.
Knott admits she doesn’t put much stock in how to guides as she doesn’t believe that’s how people learned what to do. I completely agree with this. I read everything, learned nothing before my first was born. I read nothing, knew everything by the time my second was born. Fine, I didn’t know everything but I knew enough to no longer need to look for answers in a book.
.
The section on breastfeeding is about what any person who breastfed any child could guess—men dictating what should be done, which changed every few years. Prescriptions were used to pit mother vs mother, as they are today.
.
3.5 ⭐️s.
.
Mother is a Verb covers more than just what it’s like to parent; it goes into the history of many topics of concern to feminism and those debating whether or not to become a parent.
.
Knott admits she doesn’t put much stock in how to guides as she doesn’t believe that’s how people learned what to do. I completely agree with this. I read everything, learned nothing before my first was born. I read nothing, knew everything by the time my second was born. Fine, I didn’t know everything but I knew enough to no longer need to look for answers in a book.
.
The section on breastfeeding is about what any person who breastfed any child could guess—men dictating what should be done, which changed every few years. Prescriptions were used to pit mother vs mother, as they are today.
.
3.5 ⭐️s.
June 30, 2023
This book was stunning and easily in the top 3 out of the 45 books I've read so far this year. There's lots of good information on the history of motherhoood, interesting theorization of identity and action, but I think the most significant element is the writing style. The book is arranged through a series of anecdotes, which the author explains as an intentional methodological choice, and I think works extremely well in establishing a tone and sense of many arguments. There is plenty of direct argument and theorization (although never overly abstract) but the almost poetic structure of the book is remarkably effective in a piece of nonfiction at doing the work that historians are often trying to do with extensive deep description. Several people that I read it with said that several parts made them feel viscerally uncomfortable, so that's something to be aware of before reading.
November 29, 2019
Knott offers a remarkable history of motherhood. She employed the anecdotal method, which is often criticized, but she accumulated a vast amount of stories across cultures to produce a thoughtful verb driven history of mothering. I found it beautifully written, honest, funny, and tender—and as a mother who just had two leave my nest, I recalled the beauty of precious moments nearly two decades ago, of nursing and co-sleeping, juggling, exhaustion, and more. A favorite line that rang so true, after discussing all the things mothers juggled in a day: “The mother could always be interrupted. She inhibited unending broken time.”
December 2, 2019
In Mother Is a Verb, Sarah Knott takes her reader on a historian’s journey into motherhood. It is a sort of train travelogue, riding along parallel rails: personal memoir and wide-ranging social history.
The path of the narrative is dictated by the chronology of the memoir, starting with choosing to try for a pregnancy, and progressing through her first child’s toddlerhood and the birth of her second child…
Read the rest at Nursing Clio: https://nursingclio.org/2019/07/23/jo...
The path of the narrative is dictated by the chronology of the memoir, starting with choosing to try for a pregnancy, and progressing through her first child’s toddlerhood and the birth of her second child…
Read the rest at Nursing Clio: https://nursingclio.org/2019/07/23/jo...
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June 26, 2022An interesting blend of the history of mothering through the ages mixed with personal experiences of two pregnancies. Concentrating on America and Great Britain.
Many interesting historical facts come to light:
• The concept of 2 nights (first night, second night) from when people went to bed when the sun went down)
• Co-sleeping, in and out of fashion
• Dowager babies, name given child when displaced by a newborn.
• Plenty of euphemisms for being pregnant: ‘The rising of the apron’, ‘In the pudding club’, ‘Up the duff’, ‘A bun in the oven’ ...
Many interesting historical facts come to light:
• The concept of 2 nights (first night, second night) from when people went to bed when the sun went down)
• Co-sleeping, in and out of fashion
• Dowager babies, name given child when displaced by a newborn.
• Plenty of euphemisms for being pregnant: ‘The rising of the apron’, ‘In the pudding club’, ‘Up the duff’, ‘A bun in the oven’ ...
August 18, 2023
The history was solid (which is why I still gave it three stars), but the writing style was pretentious. There were interesting nuggets of history which I enjoyed and which told a story of changing ideas around mothering over the past four centuries, but the writing style detracted from the power of that story. I would have liked to have read a regular history on this topic - this just did not do it for me. I'm sure it worked for many people, but for me, not at all.
December 18, 2024
I really thought this would be similar to Megan K. Stack's Women's Work, with a good combination of personal musings and history and feminist theory. Unfortunately, there were just many different accounts of mothers in different periods and places throughout history. This is in itself isnt an issue, but the author's very choppy and descriptive writing style was not engaging.
Giving it a 3 as the chapter on mothering being encapsulated by interrupted time was well written.
Giving it a 3 as the chapter on mothering being encapsulated by interrupted time was well written.
June 1, 2019
Meh. Read as part of a book group. I am a Mother of three yet, still could not relate to the author. Kept thinking....and So what is this author really trying to say here? Felt like I was reading a text written by a college professor purchased as a reading requirement for her history course. Plowed through it, literally.
June 22, 2019
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This book presents and compelling and unique premise which is the history of mothering. I found much of the anecdotal information interesting. The author reviews many facets of motherhood including laboring, breastfeeding, and being a working mother. While I found the book informative, I also found it a little difficult to read. It is definitely for the more "academically minded". I found myself having to reread passages several times to gain a better understanding. I found it to be quite the mental exercise. That is not necessarily a bad thing just not what I am looking for when I am reading for pleasure. If you have a large interest in history, especially among different cultures and time periods, then you will probably enjoy this book. If you a looking for simple, easy to read book, this would probably not be your first choice.
This book presents and compelling and unique premise which is the history of mothering. I found much of the anecdotal information interesting. The author reviews many facets of motherhood including laboring, breastfeeding, and being a working mother. While I found the book informative, I also found it a little difficult to read. It is definitely for the more "academically minded". I found myself having to reread passages several times to gain a better understanding. I found it to be quite the mental exercise. That is not necessarily a bad thing just not what I am looking for when I am reading for pleasure. If you have a large interest in history, especially among different cultures and time periods, then you will probably enjoy this book. If you a looking for simple, easy to read book, this would probably not be your first choice.
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