At last!
A Canadian book about childfree people, long overdue. A big thanks to Timethief for highlighting this prize-winning book – Nobody’s Mother: Life Without Kids. Given the discussion here over the past few days, this book is timely in more ways than one. I for one am planning to add it to my library.
I am looking forward to more and more books like this one being published. Hopefully that will go some way to removing the stigma that childfree women and their partners continue to undergo from society and sometimes family, in addition to validating our choice in the face of criticism, questions and the inevitable bingoes.
I can hardly wait to find out what the “Yummy Mummy” is.
I think the book write up is worthy of more highlighting, so, as well as the link, I have added a couple of screen captures.
Edited by Lynne Van Luven, finalist in the 2007 BC Book Prizes. Foreword by Shelagh Rogers.
Technorati Tags: childfree, stigma, childfree women, choice
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
a yummy mummy, is a very fashionable, very slim trim woman, who has a child or 3, last nite on a UK tv show was footballers WAGs (wives and girlfriends), they mention yummy mummy.
which includes sexy underwear for pregnant women and nursing mothers, celebrates the pregnant woman’s body, and so on..
Skeletor would be a yummy mummy, except she has no sex appeal whatsoever. It’s the opposite of a frumpy mummy, I suppose.
I’m adding it to my list of must reads.
I expect that reading this book will lead to some interesting dialogue right here on this blog and I’m looking forward to both the reading and the conversation. I haven’t got a copy but I’m on the library waiting list, twiddling my thumbs.
I’ve also been waiting for someone anyone to point out the the two most effective things we as individuals can do to address climate change are not buying hybrid, cars and changing to fluorescent lightbulbs.
They are (1) choosing not to reproduce and (2) becoming vegetarians. But take a look at what a long way we have to go to corral those two sacred cows. http://timethief.wordpress.com/2007/02/04/livestock-generate-18-percent-of-worlds-greenhouse-gases/
http://timethief.wordpress.com/2007/03/27/commons-committee-shocked-by-childhood-obesity/
I can do the first one one, but the second one may take some time.
Great review! I will look into this book. My oldest daughter has said she may choose to be child-free. I don’t quite blame her after growing up the oldest of six siblings.
Thank you so much for the welcome comment on my blog. Your support means a lot to me.
Hey AM – my husband grudgingly admits that Skeletor is about as sexy as a well made blow-up doll. In the $1,000 dollar range. If there is such a thing. I’m personally unconvinced that there’s anything real about that woman any more. She’s had so many nips and tucks, it’s unreal. She looks it too
. Unreal, that is.
(For those wondering – Skeletor is aka Posh Spice)
mercurior – oh, you mean like when a with-child Demi Moore posed nekkid on the cover of Vanity Fair. And people weren’t allowed to express a dissenting opinion even if they didn’t find it particularly attractive. Looks like we can look forward to the WAGS jumping merrily onto the covers, then. Ugh.
TT – I’ll check those links out.
Polli – you’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
Just FYI- one of the parents at my school was interviewed by the Star a few years back when the “yummy mummy” phrase was just beginning to get used. She (and a few others being interviewed) gushed about motherhood not being an impediment to dressing up sexy and going out with the “girls” on weekends, and how glamorous she still felt. To me, they just sounded like self-absorbed superficial women who didn’t seem to spend a lot of time with the children, which made me subsequently wonder why they even had them… Perhaps they were portrayed unfairly, which is quite possible given the lack of journalistic depth these days.
I think a blowup doll would have more personality than Posh, but that’s just me being mean, right? I just don’t get it. At all.
what exactly does she do, she used to be a mediocre singer in a mediocre group, (who only had 3 hits that was any good), then she married beckham, who if brains were dynamite, he wouldnt have enough to blow his nose.
but they are rich. but yes britgirl, demi moore, by todays definition would be a yummy mummy, so would angelina jolie, and.. and..
(TT fraid i am a carnivore, and if everyone went vegetarian more people would die of starvation, and it isnt good for the land either, so you have more deserts and unproductive land http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/vegetarian.html#link1 check this out)
I put this book on hold at my library (I always read things from the library first before deciding if I want to buy, my apartment is overrun with books as it is and I have to be choosy!). There are already 70 holds for it! I think that speaks to a very healthy interest for books of this nature.
RMS – I think so too!