“In this collection, we describe the realities of mothering young children, from pregnancy through kindergarten. Our purpose is to celebrate this season, to illustrate its unique challenges and delights, to reveal its deep significance,” writes editor Kathryn Lynard Soper.
The Mother in Me is a collection of more than forty essays and poems, each one offering a personal and intimate view of the divinely-appointed role of motherhood. Some of the selections in the book are humorous, others thoughtful, others poignant — yet all of them affirm the richness of motherhood.
Truly, motherhood matters. Not just in the sentimental ways we talk about on Mother's Day, but in the gritty, lovely, everyday realities of walking this path.
Twenty-nine Latter-day Saint mothers delve into the messy richness of the domestic realm and find great beauty and meaning therein. For home is where everything begins — for children and mothers.
The voices in the book are as individual as the experiences they discuss — first-time pregnancies, the miracle of birth, the devastation of miscarriage and stillbirth, the uncertainty of infertility, the blessings of adoption, and the wonder of newborn nights turning into toddler days and pre-school adventures. But these varied voices unite as they show that the transforming journey of motherhood — is also exhilarating.
“This is my first pregnancy — my first everything, it feels like. I wonder vaguely if Eve ever felt as I do. On some theoretical level I know I wanted this — even chose it — but did even Eve pause in her purposefulness when she realized the known world of her peaceful garden was now nonexistent, that in choosing family, she chose to become part of the wildness of creation?” writes Johanna Buchert Smith in the opening essay, Forty Weeks 'til Spring.
The experiences shared in The Mother in Me will make you laugh and cry and hold tightly the little ones in your life.
Motherhood is complex, yet simple. It is exhausting, yet rewarding. It is heartbreaking, yet joyful. It is life changing and fulfilling.
This collection of poems and essays will leave you full of the joys of mothering but understanding there are days of sorrow. Cry, laugh, nod in agreement, and be grateful you aren’t alone. These stories will bring that to the forefront.
Anyone who has been a mother, who has yet to become one, who is in the throes of day to day parenting, or who has yearned for motherhood through the pain of infertility will find something with which to identify.
Each story is individual, yet global; we can all see ourselves in some, if not most of the essays and poems. Kathryn Lyndard Soper brings them all together in a flowing fashion. The various authors are women in various stages of their lives who share with startling candour what motherhood is really like.
Prepare to enjoy it from start to end.
"The Mother in Me," a compilation of essays and poems written by various authors, exudes down-to-earth eloquence. Every essay, every poem is one-of-a-kind, reminding us that we as mothers do not have to be cookie-cutter copies of one another. What the authors share in common is a passion for motherhood and the willingness to tell it like it is. They also share a love of language and of story. I found myself rereading passages aloud because of the sheer beauty and force of the language. "The Mother in Me" contains something for every mom -- experiences you can relate to, inspiration you've been searching for, and solid encouragement to be your own kind of mom. Perhaps more than anything, this book serves as a powerful reminder that every mother's story matters, yours included. -- Debra Sansing Woods, author of "Mothering with Spiritual Power: Book of Mormon Inspirations for Raising a Righteous Family" and "It's Okay to Take a Nap: and Other Reassuring Truths for Mothers Everywhere."
My copy of _The Mother in Me_ arrived this afternoon, and, not being being an angel mother, I plopped down and read it while my older boys ran wild outside and the baby played, nursed, and napped in my arms. I bet my afternoon was better than yours.
Because _The Mother in Me_ is a very good book. It's simply a compilation of essays and poetry from the _Segullah_ women on motherhood, specifically young motherhood. I usually avoid motherhood books because they annoy me. But this one didn't, not at all. Maybe it's because it's written by women who are in my stage of life. Or because these women don't make motherhood angelic or messy or whiney, just real.
I don't think I've ever been reading something about motherhood where I thought "I know exactly what she's talking about." I can often relate, but I've rarely found something where the author has had an experience just like one of my own until this afternoon. The essays here cover such a wide range of emotions and experiences and are so clearly written that I'd imagine many different women might find that perfect match too.
I did have one quibble with the layout though. There were too many words crowded onto a page with the longer poems. Johnna Benson Cornett's "origami birds," for example, felt right, but her "no time" was packed onto one page and it was difficult to read.
Anyway, this is all to say that this little book covers a huge range of experiences. It's by women who are there, right now, with little children. They don't blame, they don't give advice. It's simply a celebration of motherhood and the women who make it possible, despite everything that might make it seem impossible.
