Letters on Motherhood
By Giovanna Fletcher
Blurb
Letters on Motherhood is a collection of heartfelt and deeply poignant letters written by Giovanna to her three young sons Buzz, Buddy and Max, husband, Tom, and the family and friends who have inspired and supported her to become the mother that she is today.
In this beautiful book, she shares the funny and moving personal tales of her own family life, peppered throughout with her poignant family photos bringing her stories to life.
Never one to glamorise the idea of a perfect family, Giovanna writes about the priceless highs and the challenging lows as she talks about the deeper universal truths of parenting including:
· Coping with mum guilt
· Finding a work/family life balance
· Positive body image
· Rediscovering a sense of identity
· A parent's hopes, fears and expectations for their child's future
Honest, heartwarming and hilarious, Giovanna's musings on motherhood are both a joy and a comfort.
Our Review
Letters on Motherhood was exactly the kind of book I needed to read right now with everything that is going on right now in the world. It was light and carefree, uplifting but also an honest reflection of how sometimes it can feel like you can do nothing right as a mother.
The letters are interspersed with little photos capturing snapshots of family life which are completely relatable. Giovanna’s voice shines through and is warm and friendly.
I loved it when she spoke about her admiration for her husband and the way he interacts with their children.
“You boys arriving has shown me a side of your dad I have never seen before. I will not belittle his input into your lives by calling him a ‘hands-on-dad’. They make his efforts sound trivial and twee when we’re equal and united on all that we give to you.”
I thought her ‘Letter to Buddy’ captured perfectly life with a toddler as the extract below shows.
“There was the time I peeled a banana the wrong way, another when I sliced your toast into cute triangles when you wanted solid squares, and again when I refused to let you have ice-cream for breakfast.”
The picture of her crying over not feeling like a good enough mother was heart-breaking and totally relatable. I love the way she normalises these feelings for other mothers reading her book.
Another one I liked was when she is talking about having to tell her children to stop doing things they are enjoying because it is dangerous or not in their best interest.
“I don’t want to be the one telling you not to do the things you desperately want to do.
But I am and I will be, because I am your mother. I will continue to do all those things that make you huff and moan at me. I’ll carry on because it is my job to love you and care for you, and to worry constantly about your safety, your heart, and your future.”
Other favourites were the letter where she tells her son’s it is ok to fail and to talk about their feelings and ‘Alone’ where she talks about them leaving home one day.
The one that I could associate with the most strongly was where she talks about knowing when to switch off to the other things in life and to just be present with her family.
“Sometimes motherhood isn’t much fun because I’m trying to cram so much in. But doing nothing is doing something. Because doing nothing means no worrying about anything other than being together.”
This book is a must read.
Our Final Rating...
Read & Shared 29 Times.
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