crabbygirl reviewed To hell with all that by Caitlin Flanagan
Review of 'To hell with all that' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Flanagan is one of my fav magazine authors (her article about abortion in The Atlantic does the best job I've ever read wrt seeing - really seeing - both sides of a fraught situation) so I was thrilled to see she'd written this nostalgic (for me) timepiece capturing the highs and lows of early parenting.
like the author, I too straddle the contradictions of being an independent feminist attracted to the traditional role of motherhood. yes, as children we grew up dreaming of the day we'd have our own homes and families to care for. yes, as young adults we absorbed the message that it was demeaning for women to be subservient to men and relegated to the home to perform repeated, menial tasks. but yes, once married and with offspring, we found some meaning in being that integral, necessary, person to the functioning of the home; a zen practise …
Flanagan is one of my fav magazine authors (her article about abortion in The Atlantic does the best job I've ever read wrt seeing - really seeing - both sides of a fraught situation) so I was thrilled to see she'd written this nostalgic (for me) timepiece capturing the highs and lows of early parenting.
like the author, I too straddle the contradictions of being an independent feminist attracted to the traditional role of motherhood. yes, as children we grew up dreaming of the day we'd have our own homes and families to care for. yes, as young adults we absorbed the message that it was demeaning for women to be subservient to men and relegated to the home to perform repeated, menial tasks. but yes, once married and with offspring, we found some meaning in being that integral, necessary, person to the functioning of the home; a zen practise amidst the laundry and the decluttering.