A humorous and potent takedown of the criticism awaiting mothers at—and between—every extreme.
An investigation into the bad-mother/good-mother binary and the way it shapes a mother’s place in society today.
Having reported on both popular culture and deeper sociopolitical shifts for outlets such as New York and Rolling Stone, Dickson weaves together her observations to dive deep into a variety of “bad mother” tropes. From stage mothers and unapologetically sexual clichés to ambitious career women, the author’s subjects demonstrate how the “expansiveness” of the bad mom label, applied across political and cultural spectrums, renders every mother subject to judgment, thus reinforcing the broader disempowerment of all women. Dickson’s hope is to spur some measure of empathy, maybe even solidarity, in the reader to counter the systemic forces that erect these mothers as villains. To make her point, she turns to (sometimes mediocre) cult classics and revisits some of her own previous reporting, draping her research in a healthy dose of bewildered snark and a hint of amusement with herself. While frequently entertaining, these witty jabs and asides sometimes dilute the potency of her fury and distract from its gravitas. Dickson is (rightly) quick to acknowledge the privilege of her race and class, keenly noting how the obsession with and variability of the repercussions of being labeled as a “bad mom” differ across races and economic classes. The author flirts with—but dutifully avoids—offering a clear and authoritative definition of a good mom. Instead, she keeps her focus on the “insanely rigorous standards surrounding motherhood” that have persisted even as women have pursued and found a measure of freedom, success, and support in other domains. She thus suggests a new narrative of female empowerment in a world where social media and sensational media coverage further entrench expectations that mothers be relentlessly selfless, materially unrewarded, and eternally disconnected.
A humorous and potent takedown of the criticism awaiting mothers at—and between—every extreme.Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
ISBN: 9781668051115
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Simon Element
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.
Words that made a nation.
Isaacson is known for expansive biographies of great thinkers (and Elon Musk), but here he pens a succinct, stimulating commentary on the Founding Fathers’ ode to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” His close reading of the Declaration of Independence’s second sentence, published to mark the 250th anniversary of the document’s adoption, doesn’t downplay its “moral contradiction.” Thomas Jefferson enslaved hundreds of people yet called slavery “a cruel war against human nature” in his first draft of the Declaration. All but 15 of the document’s 56 signers owned enslaved people. While the sentence in question asserted “all men are created equal” and possess “unalienable rights,” the Founders “consciously and intentionally” excluded women, Native Americans, and enslaved people. And yet the sentence is powerful, Isaacson writes, because it names a young nation’s “aspirations.” He mounts a solid defense of what ought to be shared goals, among them economic fairness, “moral compassion,” and a willingness to compromise. “Democracy depends on this,” he writes. Isaacson is excellent when explaining how Enlightenment intellectuals abroad influenced the founders. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Declaration’s “five-person drafting committee,” stayed in David Hume’s home for a month in the early 1770s, “discussing ideas of natural rights” with the Scottish philosopher. Also strong is Isaacson’s discussion of the “edits and tweaks” made to Jefferson’s draft. As recommended by Franklin and others, the changes were substantial, leaving Jefferson “distraught.” Franklin, who emerges as the book’s hero, helped establish municipal services, founded a library, and encouraged religious diversity—the kind of civic-mindedness that we could use more of today, Isaacson reminds us.
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781982181314
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.
The former iCarly star reflects on her difficult childhood.
In her debut memoir, titled after her 2020 one-woman show, singer and actor McCurdy (b. 1992) reveals the raw details of what she describes as years of emotional abuse at the hands of her demanding, emotionally unstable stage mom, Debra. Born in Los Angeles, the author, along with three older brothers, grew up in a home controlled by her mother. When McCurdy was 3, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Though she initially survived, the disease’s recurrence would ultimately take her life when the author was 21. McCurdy candidly reconstructs those in-between years, showing how “my mom emotionally, mentally, and physically abused me in ways that will forever impact me.” Insistent on molding her only daughter into “Mommy’s little actress,” Debra shuffled her to auditions beginning at age 6. As she matured and starting booking acting gigs, McCurdy remained “desperate to impress Mom,” while Debra became increasingly obsessive about her daughter’s physical appearance. She tinted her daughter’s eyelashes, whitened her teeth, enforced a tightly monitored regimen of “calorie restriction,” and performed regular genital exams on her as a teenager. Eventually, the author grew understandably resentful and tried to distance herself from her mother. As a young celebrity, however, McCurdy became vulnerable to eating disorders, alcohol addiction, self-loathing, and unstable relationships. Throughout the book, she honestly portrays Debra’s cruel perfectionist personality and abusive behavior patterns, showing a woman who could get enraged by everything from crooked eyeliner to spilled milk. At the same time, McCurdy exhibits compassion for her deeply flawed mother. Late in the book, she shares a crushing secret her father revealed to her as an adult. While McCurdy didn’t emerge from her childhood unscathed, she’s managed to spin her harrowing experience into a sold-out stage act and achieve a form of catharsis that puts her mind, body, and acting career at peace.
The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-982185-82-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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