Mother Who?

reviewer: Felicity Chapman

month entered: 06/2008

author: Diane Evans & Sharon Evans

year of publication: 2007

review:

Finally, a comprehensive book exploring the journeys and insights of mothers!  MotherWho? is a touching and candid account about the experience of motherhood for 20 Australian women.  Each account is an expertly collated mix of reflections from the mother interviewed and commentary by the authors.  While at times the catalogue of high profile, highly successful mothers can seem removed from the experience of ordinary mothers, you cannot help but acknowledge a very raw human element in each of their stories that exude honesty and underscore the complexities of modern motherhood.  There is also rich diversity in the women they present.  Sitting alongside celebrity mothers such as singer Kate Ceberano, Claudia Keech of motherInc, and retired Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, are women such as foster mother Melissa Davies who was named Barnardos Mother of the Year, in 2005. There is also diversity in each of the mothers' experience; from struggling with postnatal depression, to having children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (close to my heart).  I found this book moving and inspiring.  It brought to life the contradictions, emotions, and experiences of what being a woman and a mother can mean today.

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