Every mother has their own story, but I overwhelmingly felt while I read this that the author had been dealt such a bad hand. It felt like every part of her pregnancies, births, etc. was extremely difficult. Entire chapters felt like they detailed her inability to stop crying. I found myself wondering why someone who went through so many terrible experiences would choose to have more children. This was not the book for me, and not the book I expected it to be. If I had read this before choosing to have a child or while I was pregnant, it would have terrified me.

📚: Mothers Are Made by Danielle Sherman-Lazar
⭐️: 2.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

I need to preface this review - I completely respect and empathize with Sherman-Lazar’s story, background, and life. The fact this reads so much as a memoir makes it very hard to review, because there is a lot that’s good in this book, and it’s also her story to tell and own. I also think it’s so important to have books out there that tell the story of real modern motherhood - it is hard! It is work! It is a lot (too much!) to juggle!

That said, this book tries to do too much. Covering her life as a mother to four daughters, traumatic birth scenarios, marital challenges while raising young kids, mothering while she is in ED recovery, and handling the mental load as a stay at home parent — plus many more topics — in under 300 pages is a lot, and leads to a disjointed reading experience. Focusing in on and going deeper into a couple of these may have created a read with a clearer thread throughout.

While this plethora of content works within a social media page and algorithm in quick bites, it missed the mark as a singular book. (Even when I agree and relate to so so so much of it.)

Thanks to Alcove Press via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Mothers Are Made is out now.

I will read any kind of memoir about motherhood. I have a 6 year old daughter, so I find these books so intriguing at this phase of my life. This book was relatable when it comes to anxiety and loneliness.

An open real look at the experience of parenting.The author shares her experiences hides nothing this is an important empowering memoir. #netgallery#mothers are made

This was an empowering story of woman’s pregnancy journeys and what it’s like to be a mom. Saying it’s hard isn’t easy when there’s a lot of pressure. I appreciated this story a lot.

3.5 stars rounded up
I feel mixed about this one because there were some good and useful parts to it and some parts that seemed bad. I really enjoyed the first half. It felt a lot like memoir and less about momming issues. Thank you to the author for being so vulnerable and sharing her personal experiences.
Overall the big message is everyone is doing the best they can and stop judging other moms. Stop judging yourself too. Kids are kids and when they act like kids that’s ok. It’s important to give ourselves grace. There’s also a great section about boundaries. It’s important to put your family and your kids needs first and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. Definitely valuable information! The author makes a point that everyone is someone’s child so after becoming a parent, you’re more compassionate towards others and extend more grace even with other adults.

The worst parts about this were about her husband. When she’s totally overwhelmed and needs a little break she just pushes through and does everything anyway. In the book, her husband is not supportive at all. (I believe that isn’t as much the case in real life after reading her acknowledgements). But she has to beg him for 10 minutes in the morning to get a shower by herself-when he finally agrees, he can’t handle breakfast with the kids and all the hot water has already been used-so she can’t even get her 10 minutes. He considers things he does as “helping”-this is triggering to me.. any man who thinks he’s helping his wife with his own kids. And when she is completely sick with strep and 102 temp, he’s too busy at work to show much care. And he can’t take a sick day from work because he needs to save those for when he is sick. She powers through when she feels horrible because “that’s what moms do.” This is a terrible message for moms. When you’re sick, get support when you can and demand more of a partnership. She’s constantly left with a pile of dishes and loads of laundry and cleaning always it’s overwhelming and the message that we need to just do it because we’d “do anything for our kids” is not healthy. Of course we would do anything for our kids. That doesn’t mean you should have to just power through and do everything yourself instead of getting the support you need and deserve.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I don’t know if I could recommend this unless there’s a mom who is confident enough to take the good with the bad and know the difference.

An encouraging book for moms who may be feeling alone in the struggles of motherhood. Trigger warnings for mention of eating disorders. Hopefully this book helps many to feel seen.

This book is written beautifully. I struggle with a lot of mom guilt and this book helped me so much. It had great points throughout. I would recommend this book to everyone.

If you are wanting to feel seen when day-to-day parenting feels tough, then Danielle Sherman-Lazar is there for you. Her writing is heartfelt and does not paint motherhood to be easy, innate, or carefree. She gives permission to herself and the reader to be overwhelmed, lonely, and touched out all the while also giving a pep talk to help you get back on your feet. Sherman-Lazar shares vignettes from her own life to show how her own trials have formed her approach to parenting. A candid history about her eating disorder also helps add an additional layer to understand her approach and how to overcome insecurity to be fully present for others. This is a lovely addition to memoirs about being a parent in today's age.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review!**

First, I want to say that every mother’s journey is different and valuable and valid, and I congratulate the author on telling her story in the best way she knows how. However, as a book this one really didn’t work for me.

I apparently have an unpopular opinion, as many reviews glow with praise at the relatability of this book. I had a hard time gauging the intended audience; if I’d read this as a new mom I would have been absolutely traumatized and terrified, but after 8 years of experiencing pregnancy, childbirth, and the trenches of motherhood I found the “life lessons” fell a bit flat and shallow for me. I guess I was just hoping for something a little deeper.

The chapters were very formulaic— starting with some specific aspect of motherhood it dug into every possible complaint about why it’s hard, unfair, impossible, blah blah blah. Then it would shift for a short time to preaching about why it’s actually okay, society is wrong, moms are great and so is motherhood, such-and-such Pinterest-quotey life lesson. The focus on the negativity was very draining for me and by the time the author attempted to turn it around and put some positive spin on it, it was too little too late.

Maybe some moms will read this and feel validated, and I’m happy for them. For me, I find that I see more than enough validating complaints on social media and I could have instead used more focus on the wonder and magic of motherhood.

I feel seen as a mother! She offers an authentic glimpse into the experience new parents face as they grow their family. I felt as though I was chatting with a friend and sharing our latest parenting trials and tribulations. A must read for new moms who feel trapped in their new life.

I read this at 3 months postpartum with my first baby. Such a helpful book at this time when I'm figuring out who I am in this new role and new life.

Mothers Are Made by Danielle Sherman-Lazar is a heartfelt and honest exploration of the challenges of motherhood. Through personal stories of struggles with breastfeeding, NICU stays, eating disorders, and anxiety, Danielle emphasizes that motherhood isn’t something we’re born into—it’s something we’re forged through time and experience. Her raw writing connects deeply with readers, offering reassurance and strength for those facing their own hurdles. With humor, love, and vulnerability, Danielle reminds mothers that they have the resilience to overcome any challenge, and that they are not alone in their journey. An empowering and relatable read for all moms.

This is a profoundly impactful book that offers an authentic and emotional perspective on the journey of motherhood. It provides valuable support for individuals seeking to feel less isolated in their experiences. I will certainly recommend it to new and expectant parents.

Mothers Are Made by Danielle Sherman-Lazar was a fine read—honest, insightful, and deeply personal. It captures the raw, often unspoken realities of motherhood, from the overwhelming love to the exhaustion and self-doubt. While I appreciated the vulnerability and truth in her words, I didn’t always feel fully connected to the narrative—it resonated in moments but didn’t completely pull me in. That said, it’s a worthwhile read for anyone looking for a candid reflection on the messy, beautiful process of becoming a mother

Mothers are Made is the kind of book I wish I owned in print so I could annotate it and have it to flip through later whenever I need a kind word. Full of relatable scenarios that included critical self-talk, chaos toddlers, and frustrating interactions with other adults, I constantly wondered whether she had secret cameras in my house. Though I only have one child compared to her four, I’ve experienced many of the same things she discussed in this book.

I love that we got to accompany her through a recollection of her own life that led up to where she is now. This is not a book by a picture-perfect homemaker that has always had the patience of a saint. This is the story of someone that’s gone through her own trials and tribulations to arrive at her current location, and I enjoyed learning about that transformation.

All throughout, she includes little pep talks to her readers that tell us about the lessons she’s learned along the way and the fact that we don’t have to be perfect to be good parents. But we do need to love them and we do need to try our best, to learn from our mistakes, to keep on going even when things are rough. But that doesn’t mean we need to do things alone or that we should always put on a happy front when we are struggling. This is the kind of book I want to share with other mothers to show that I see them, that I’m there too, and that we can do this together.

An absolutely brilliant book that makes you feel a little less lonely. Sherman-Lazar goes through every aspect of being a mother - her honesty is refreshing. Motherhood is beautiful, messy and hard work! As a mother of a toddler I enjoyed hearing Sherman-Lazar's experiences and thoughts on parenting, as it helped reinforce my beliefs and showed me that I'm not alone. I would recommend this to anyone who is a parent or planning to start a family!

This was exactly what I needed to read while navigating through my own personal journey. I deeply appreciated her vulnerability and honesty, and I found myself highlighting every other page. So many true statements and pieces of advice. I would recommend this to any mom, or anyone in their parenting journey for that matter. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for my e-ARC.

Wow, what a great memoir. All mothers will appreciate Mothers are Made by Danielle Sherman-Lazar. It will give you all the feels.

"I might have known in my bones that I was born to be a mother, but the actual experience was turning out to be nothing like the fairytale I had imagined.">

"Resilience isn't something we're born with. Like being a MOM, it's something we learn and develop. It's something we gain through hard experience. We all have issues, messes to overcome, whether it's addiction, a looming divorce, mental illness, or a past we're not particularly proud of. As humans, we're fallible and complex. But we're also able to choose, so instead of sitting in the mess of our story-if we can overcome our hurdles, our situation, and thereby help our children overcome theirs and gain resilience-THAT will become our greatest strength.

"Mothers are MADE through time and experience. We are through long nights that pass in a tired, overwhelmed blur into harder days. But it's exactly through these difficult experiences with our children that we are created."

5 big, emotional stars for this sobbing mama. i weep. i hugged my babies so tight tonight.

this was a raw, emotional and honest look at motherhood and the many ups and downs that come with it. motherhood and parenthood in general are the most beautiful and challenging thing I've ever done, and it was refreshing to relate so heavily to another so much and to know i'm not alone. i highlighted so many beautiful thoughts in this book to remind myself in the hard moments of how beautiful this journey truly is. this book felt like reading all of my own deepest thoughts, put together in the most beautiful way. it felt like a “friend” i could turn to at 3am in the middle of a breakdown when no one else would understand. the words found in these pages somehow captures the most honest parts of being a new mom and balancing it with life and being a wife.

i’ve just become a mom 4 years ago and in 2022 (i have 2 boys) so this felt like a good read for this timing in my life. some days are good, some days are bad, but we push through because no one is going to love these babies as much as we do.

i would highly recommend this book to anyone but especially parents and especially new parents who are in the thick of it. it's hard not to read without getting emotional. it was absolutely beautiful and i will cherish it forever.

Thank you Alcove Press. damn you for making me cry in the middle of the night.