A much-needed reminder that it’s OK, even necessary, for mothers to consider their own needs, in addition to their...
A knowledgeable parent dispenses advice to harried mothers who’ve forgotten how to care for themselves.
Julie Burton was a busy mom of four, freelance writer, and fitness instructor when a panic attack left her “shaking, sobbing” on her sister’s front step. “You have to figure out a way to take care of yourself,” her sister urged. Having already overcome a battle with anorexia, Burton again devoted her energy to healing herself, discovering that “the only way that a mother can truly be present, engaged, connected, and nurturing with her child is if she’s present, engaged, connected, and nurturing with herself.” To help other women who feel they’ve sacrificed their health and identity to caring for their kids, she offers eight “self-care solutions,” such as “honor your body,” “cultivate happiness and joy,” “find gratitude and connection,” “set boundaries,” and “never give up.” Burton draws extensively on her own parenting experiences as well as interviews with other mothers to clearly illustrate why women must embrace self-care and how they can do so, especially given the intense demands of modern parenthood. One mom confesses: I am starting to realize that I need to develop a sense of myself if I am going to be a good parent for them. So…I go out with friends, exercise, and try to relax. The debut book is full of gentle, if somewhat shopworn, admonishments to give up the quest for perfection and to focus on living in the moment—Burton is all about support, not judgment, and many of her tips would be easy to put into action. Yet she writes, as she acknowledges, from a place of privilege. Blithe advice to make time for yoga classes and get more sleep is of little help to single moms stretched to the limit or those who work long hours or multiple jobs to support their families. Burton also unquestioningly buys into the tired notion that “women are the managers of the family, which includes being manager of their children and, oftentimes, of the relationship with their partners.” While she helpfully devotes a chapter to nurturing a relationship with a spouse, the idea that many women would be better able to care for themselves if their partners shouldered a greater share of the parenting burden gets short shrift.
A much-needed reminder that it’s OK, even necessary, for mothers to consider their own needs, in addition to their children’s.Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-63152-068-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: She Writes Press
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An absorbing, wide-ranging story of humans’ relationship with the water.
A study of swimming as sport, survival method, basis for community, and route to physical and mental well-being.
For Bay Area writer Tsui (American Chinatown: A People's History of Five Neighborhoods, 2009), swimming is in her blood. As she recounts, her parents met in a Hong Kong swimming pool, and she often visited the beach as a child and competed on a swim team in high school. Midway through the engaging narrative, the author explains how she rejoined the team at age 40, just as her 6-year-old was signing up for the first time. Chronicling her interviews with scientists and swimmers alike, Tsui notes the many health benefits of swimming, some of which are mental. Swimmers often achieve the “flow” state and get their best ideas while in the water. Her travels took her from the California coast, where she dove for abalone and swam from Alcatraz back to San Francisco, to Tokyo, where she heard about the “samurai swimming” martial arts tradition. In Iceland, she met Guðlaugur Friðþórsson, a local celebrity who, in 1984, survived six hours in a winter sea after his fishing vessel capsized, earning him the nickname “the human seal.” Although humans are generally adapted to life on land, the author discovered that some have extra advantages in the water. The Bajau people of Indonesia, for instance, can do 10-minute free dives while hunting because their spleens are 50% larger than average. For most, though, it’s simply a matter of practice. Tsui discussed swimming with Dara Torres, who became the oldest Olympic swimmer at age 41, and swam with Kim Chambers, one of the few people to complete the daunting Oceans Seven marathon swim challenge. Drawing on personal experience, history, biology, and social science, the author conveys the appeal of “an unflinching giving-over to an element” and makes a convincing case for broader access to swimming education (372,000 people still drown annually).
An absorbing, wide-ranging story of humans’ relationship with the water.Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-61620-786-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after...
Self-help advice and personal reflections on avoiding spousal fights while raising children.
Before her daughter was born, bestselling author Dunn (Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask, 2009, etc.) enjoyed steady work and a happy marriage. However, once she became a mother, there never seemed to be enough time, sleep, and especially help from her husband. Little irritations became monumental obstacles between them, which led to major battles. Consequently, they turned to expensive couples' therapy to help them regain some peace in life. In a combination of memoir and advice that can be found in most couples' therapy self-help books, Dunn provides an inside look at her own vexing issues and the solutions she and her husband used to prevent them from appearing in divorce court. They struggled with age-old battles fought between men and women—e.g., frequency of sex, who does more housework, who should get up with the child in the middle of the night, why women need to have a clean house, why men need more alone time, and many more. What Dunn learned via therapy, talks with other parents, and research was that there is no perfect solution to the many dynamics that surface once couples become parents. But by using time-tested techniques, she and her husband learned to listen, show empathy, and adjust so that their former status as a happy couple could safely and peacefully morph into a happy family. Readers familiar with Dunn's honest and humorous writing will appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at her own semi-messy family life, and those who need guidance through the rough spots can glean advice while being entertained—all without spending lots of money on couples’ therapy.
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after the birth of their child.Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-26710-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
