I am a mom of four and was just amazed at this book from start to finish! I loved the different perspectives it brings to the table! It was such a great book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC of this AMAZING book!
As a teacher, I have learned about so many of these theories and psychologist/psychoanalysts. I absolutely LOVED how the author sarcastically took apart these theories created by men on what a “good mother” was.
The sarcasm was hilarious, but the deeper meaning hit home as a mother myself. We need to give ourselves grace way more often.
I highly recommend this to all moms who ever doubt they are a “ good” mother.

I am a huge fan of Nancy Reddy's poems, and I also loved this book. It's an excellent combination of reporting, research, and personal experience. The book is cogent and eloquent. And a much needed corrective to so many of our prevailing narratives about motherhood.

I approached reading The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom with trepidation -- I have chosen not to become a mother and wondered whether I would relate to this book.

I am so thankful that my curiosity overruled caution because what I learned from this book is that despite not being a parent, I have still absorbed so many of the ideas and theories about what being a "good mother" means that Nancy Reddy systematically dismantles. Reddy problematizes the study design of psychological experiments from Harlow's cloth and wire monkey experiments and Bowlby's and Ainsworth's work on attachment theory while interweaving stories from her own life about the impact of those studies on the culture that surrounds motherhood in the United States.

The message that comes through loud and clear in this book is that unquestioning devotion to the idea of a primary caregiver (most often a mother) who has to figure out motherhood with limited support while making it all look easy causes harm to all of us because it keeps us separate from one another instead of supporting each other in community. I think this is an important message for us all to hear.

Overall, an entertaining and thoughtful read, but I feel like it could've benefitted from a more analytical approach at certain points. The author's degree is in poetry, and when she starts discussing scientific studies, it certainly shows. As much as I enjoyed this book, I felt that Reddy's arguments would've been a lot more compelling if she was willing to look a little more at the science behind the studies she was debunking instead going straight to ad hominem arguments against the people who ran the studies. For example, at one point, Reddy brings up a theory, and then goes "but the person who created this was a Nazi, so we can ignore their research altogether" and never discusses it again. Taking a bit more time to discuss why the studies were flawed and poorly constructed in the first place would've been useful.

That being said, I still enjoyed reading this. Reddy makes some great points about the underlying issues with attachment theory, and the parts of the book where she discusses her own experiences with motherhood were particularly compelling and intriguing. I think that this book doesn't quite work as a comprehensive takedown of attachment theory, but it does function well as one woman exploring her particular thoughts and feelings on the concept.

The Good Mother Myth was a 5 star read for me and I have recommended it to multiple people already. Adding to my shelf of must-discuss-with-friends books.

Reading this book brought me back to the time of when I had my first baby. Of course I read Dr. Spock, but within this book there were many other doctors and writers that Ms. Reddy refers to. I can remember the days when as much as I wanted a child I felt I couldn’t do anything right.

As you read on Ms Reddy even compares motherhood with the impending birth of an orangutan that was being born. The way the mother orangutan is with her baby the loving care she takes of her baby, while Ms. Reddy struggles trying to figure out how to keep up with her studies and take care of her child.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of having a child while they continue to have a life or anyone who is already pregnant or have given birth. Reading the different styles of child rearing from these various doctors and their spouses was interesting. There was so much to take in.

Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Reddy for an interesting read.