‘So here we are, another book about mothering.’ So begins Christie Nieman’s reflection (or perhaps rant would be more accurate) on the impossibility of being a woman over thirty and escaping the motherhood discussion. I have to admit to thinking much the same thing before I opened this eclectic collection but I was absolutely delighted to find it so much more than just ‘another book about mothering’. Nieman’s essay was a stand out for me (I’m going to seek out more of her writing now), I loved her honesty and unrestrained anger at the cult of ‘Motherhood’. Cate Kennedy’s piece was another favourite, a beautifully written portrayal of attempting to have an adult conversation with toddlers underfoot.

Other essays offer different cultural perspectives and tackle infertility, politics, feminism and mental health. The pieces are short and sharp, making it the perfect book to dip in and out of. They are mostly non-fiction but there are a few fiction pieces added to the mix. I actually read the fiction last because I didn’t think I would find them as interesting but again I was happily proven wrong by this collection. Kathleen Mary Fallon’s ‘Goat Song’ was a revelation, she writes beautifully from the perspective of a foster mother of a Torres Strait Islander. Perhaps it could be argued that the collection lacks the perspective of fathers and partners and that until books like this become about parenthood rather than motherhood there won’t be true equality. But as we’re a long way away from that, this book is a step in the right direction by highlighting the sometimes suffocating cultural pressures of being or not being a mum.

Kara Nicholson