The Mother Zone by Marni Jackson (2002-05-03) - Softcover

Magazine journalist Jackson, who had her first and only child, a boy, at age 37, found that motherhood was every bit as exciting and rewarding--and frustrating and unnerving--as her career. Her humorous, frank and passionate account of her metamorphosis into a mother ("There's no preparation for the alchemy of the self that takes place during motherhood") begins with her meeting of Casey's father-to-be, Brian. She describes her son's conception and birth, the experiences of breastfeeding and weaning, the merry-go-round of sitters and day-care centers, Casey's six-month-long bout with whooping cough and the absurdity of birthday party loot bags. Grounded in details, Jackson's observations are part of a broader reflection on the continuing process of mothering ("Bad patches come and go and are completely convincing as long as they last"). Entertaining and gutsy, her account will warm and console parents.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Popular journalist Jackson ( Rolling Stone and other magazines) delivers a wonderful memoir of what motherhood is really like. Hers is a personal story, from the miracle of her son's birth to the daily ups and downs of life with an eight-year-old. This kind of book could fall flat in the hands of a writer less talented than Jackson, but she manages to make sense of life in the "mother zone," or at least give it validity. Nobody's been quite this honest and open about the emotions, fatigue, and expectations of motherhood. The Mother Zone is fun to read, eye-opening, humorous, and exasperating. Recommended for all public libraries.
- Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, Pa.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.