Motherlike by Katherine Leyton
Publisher: Second Story Press
Special thanks to Second Story Press for sending a copy for review.
Summary:
We’re shapeshifters, women—beasts, but everyone likes to hush that up.
As soon as Katherine Leyton discovered she was pregnant, a powerful reckoning began. Motherlike is both a feminist memoir of new motherhood as well as a rumination on womanhood. A book for anyone interested in an honest and revealing look at a process that is essential to our experience as humans, and yet is routinely unexamined and dismissed.
Sharp and intensely candid, funny, and deeply poignant, Leyton weaves her own experience of becoming a mother to her son (the shocks, the strangeness, and the pleasures) with historical research and cultural commentary. Everything from the history of the birth control pill and the objectification of women’s bodies to the risks of labor and the realities of being postpartum. Leyton invites us into a very personal story that reflects a larger picture of ourselves (Goodreads).
Thoughts:
Motherlike by Katherine Leyton is a deeply personal memoir regarding motherhood that’s intertwined with social commentary and historical research. Poignantly illustrated, Leyton introspects into her own vulnerabilities, while questioning what makes a “good mother.”
The themes of Motherlike are powerful and hold universal relevance: love, family, and identity exploration string together with Leyton’s exploration of femininity, parenthood, and bodily autonomy. Although I haven’t experienced many of the hardships Leyton described, I connected with Leyton’s story. Motherlike sends candid messages in strikingly honest considerations: “I just want to learn how to let this body be–I’m not a service” (89). Leyton contrasts societal expectations and values for women to exemplify the double standards that persist day-to-day. During a photo shoot as a fourteen-year-old, Leyton was far too innocent to critically examine how toxic the industry was. Stylists dressed Leyton “in women’s clothes… held together on the back side of [her] body with three huge metal clamps” (87). Only as she matured did Leyton realize that the modeling industry was “using a child as a representation of some sort of ideal women” (87). This active sexualization Leyton experienced in her youth directly impacted her initial stages of pregnancy. Thus, she is strongly bound to the sentiment that she “[does] not deserve to make [her] own choices about [her] own body” since “[her] body is a vessel” (73, 91).
Coming to terms with her pregnancy, Leyton reflects on her own relationship with her mother being “the kindest person [she] know[s]” (62). Leyton is reminded of her family upon planning for her child’s birth. This exemplifies Motherlike’s theme of family, as Leyton always aspired to be like her own mother. Through diary-like entries, Motherlike is formatted in fragments, which opens a path for Leyton’s thought-process in becoming a mother. Separated into parts to represent pregnancy trimesters, a quote is provided to set the tone for each chapter. Under the “Birth” chapter, Leyton quotes Phyllis Chesler: “under patriarchy, pregnancy and childbirth are savage ‘tests’ of your ability to survive the wilderness alone… and to keep quiet about what you’ve seen” (125). Leyton’s childbirth experience reflected growth in her development as a mother. She began to grow more and more fond of her child, yet still remained critical of her entire experience. In the hospital, she describes and references the “unbearable” women face when giving birth. A tone of steadiness and patience, Leyton’s “Birth” chapter concludes on the forgotten notion that women are “shape-shifters—beasts—but everyone likes to hush that up” (141). I greatly appreciated Motherlike for highlighting the importance of mothers.
It is evident that Leyton portrays strong emotions in her writing. From anguish and anger, to excitement and care, Leyton authentically reflects on her lived experiences whilst critically analyzing privileges and setbacks society places on women and young girls. Motherlike is an unflinchingly genuine memoir that emphasises the perseverance of women and underappreciation of mothers alike.
Reviewed by Zoe Y.