Motherhood comes in many forms, some less conventional than others. But thankfully, nowadays, more and more mothers are opening up about their unconventional experiences — because there’s bound to be someone out there who could use the helpful reminder that they’re in the same boat.
This list of memoirs encapsulates the many faces of “unconventional” motherhood, celebrating everyone from teen moms, stepmoms, single moms and foster moms, to mothers-to-be undergoing the challenges of infertility, surrogacy and IVF.
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison
For more than a decade, Kathy Harrison has sheltered a shifting cast of troubled youngsters: the offspring of prostitutes and addicts; the sons and daughters of abusers; and teenage parents who aren’t equipped for parenthood. All this, in addition to raising her three biological sons and two adopted daughters. What would motivate someone to give herself over to constant, largely uncompensated chaos? For Harrison, the answer is easy. Another Place at the Table is the frank first-person story of a woman whose compassionate best intentions for a child are sometimes all that stand between violence and redemption.
Childless Mother by Tracy Mayo
1970, pre-Choice America. After their eighth move, the lonely 13-year-old Tracy Mayo, daughter of a high-ranking naval officer and a socially ambitious mother, longed for a normal adolescence — to have friends, to feel rooted. What she got was a pregnancy at 14 and exile to a maternity home. There, she bore not only a child but also the weight of the culture’s shame. She was required to surrender her baby boy at birth and pretend it never happened. Twenty-two years later, her longing undiminished, Tracy set out to find him — and perhaps, through her search, to reclaim herself. (Check out the BookTrib review here.)
Panic and Joy by Emma Brockes
When British journalist, memoirist, and New York-transplant Emma Brockes decides to become pregnant, she quickly realizes that, being single, 37, and in the early stages of a same-sex relationship, she’s going to have to be untraditional about it. From the moment she decides to stop “futzing” around, have her eggs counted, and “get cracking”, to the births of her twins, Brockes brings the reader every step of the way — all the while exploring the cultural circumstances and choices that have brought her to this point. With mordant wit and remarkable candor, Brockes shares the frustrations, embarrassments, surprises, and joys of her momentous and excellent choice.
Stepmother by Marianne Lile
Marianne Lile met a man, fell in love, got married, and arrived home from the honeymoon with a new label: stepmom. It was a role she initially embraced — but she quickly discovered she was alone in a difficult situation, with no handbook and no mentor. Here, Lile describes the complexities of the stepmom position, in a family and in the community, and shares her experience wearing a tag that is often misunderstood and weighed down by the numerous myths in society. Candid and poignant, Stepmother is a story of love and like, resentments and exasperation, resignation and hope — and a story, ultimately, of family.
The Colorless Womb by Kimberly Gowdy
Kimberly had always yearned for a child, but after multiple miscarriages, coupled with an unhealthy marriage, she accepted that her plan to become a mother was inconceivable. A painful divorce, a new job opportunity and a chance meeting with her husband-to-be, David, offered her a fresh start. Kimberly and David seemingly shared the same goals and dreams, but soon after realized life doesn’t always go as planned. After three failed surrogacy attempts, and only two embryos left, desperation led them to the biggest surprise of their lives: an unlikely person who proved to be the perfect match. (Check out the BookTrib review here.)
Rattled! by Christine Coppa
Everything in 26-year-old Christine’s life was going as planned — great friends, a promising job as a magazine assistant, New York City at her feet… even a cute guy. Until the day she realizes she’s pregnant by said cute guy, whom she’d only been dating for a few months. The next thing you know, he bails and Christine is left to wonder, What now? Trading Manhattan for the suburbs, skinny jeans for sweatpants, and all-nighters with the girls for 3 a.m. feedings with a restless infant, Christine chooses to live a life that honors what’s important to her — and finds strength she didn’t know she had in the process.
