Book Reviews: The Mothers of Reinvention

Authors:  Jennifer Pate and Barbara Machen

Another book on claiming our true selves?  How to boost our esteem?  How to stop trying to feel normal?  NO!  No!  No!

Jen and Barb’s The Mothers of Reinvention does not coast on others’ laurels.  In a book that is definitely NOT another HOWTO, these two moms address the emotional stress of career women who stopped their careers to be moms, moms who want more, grand moms and women of all stages in their lives that want – MORE.  It’s about what Jen and Barb, as well as other women whose stories they relate, have LEARNED.  And it’s one of those few books that I have read – voraciously – because Jen and Barb have made every mistake in the book, can laugh about it, and then go on to relate how they got creative and energized as they took some time for their own interests, and worked on getting rid of the guilt.  They showcase other moms, who have done the same, but this is not a didactic, if you do this you will get that kind of a book.  This book breathes, it resounds like an echo, and it takes you on a journey that can show you what you want to be when you grow up, while still maintaining a not so perfect Super mom image that is ENOUGH.  I don’t remember my psychology that well, but wasn’t it Kennecott who stated that a mother should be “good enough.”  NOT PERFECT.  In our culture, we have assumed that we must do one thing well – mothering, careering, mating, performing our beauty tasks. Well, Jen and Barb started out that way.  And somewhere along the line, they learned that chaos is better than balance.  None of us are balanced, and it is overstated.  We all live within chaos, so why not embrace some changes just for ourselves?

To create a room with a view, Jen and Barb offer a questionnaire that they refer to at all stages of the book.  When I took it, and I am an empty nester, I couldn’t answer any of the questions well.  That’s because I’m a baby boomer who can’t say no, takes on too much, gets overwhelmed, and the first thing marked through on my agenda is taking care of me.  Even giving myself a bath or a lunch out with a friend is difficult.  And Jen and Barb have been there, done that.  That’s why I loved this book so much.  We’re all in it, together!

Enlightening, compassionate, beautifully written in prose that just puts you in the room with every story in the book, the Mothers of Reinvention presents a road map for all moms, at any age.  You all know that I am a fiction addict.  Occasionally a book comes along that delights me that I revel in.  This is one of those books.

An amazing read about real women and how to become more honest with ourselves and our families, step off the cliff with Jen and Barb and The Mothers of Reinvention.  Perfecto!  Bravo, ladies, this is one bare all book with genuine truth, moments of great empathy, and a great game plan.  I’m a fan!

The Mothers of Reinvention: Reclaim Your Identity, Unleash Your Potential, Love Your Life is available for purchase at Amazon.com