Detransition, Baby
Becoming a mother: Just the thought of it is enough to make you a little crazy. It’s loaded with cultural baggage. It takes over your body and your life. And if you have a co-parent—or two—it fundamentally changes your relationships. Torrey Peters’ brilliant flare of a first novel, Detransition, Baby pitches readers headfirst into the turmoil of impending parenthood for an idiosyncratic trio of hopefuls. Katrina has unexpectedly become pregnant with her subordinate Ames’ baby. There are real feelings behind their workplace romance, and Katrina is surprised to realize that she’d like to raise a child with him. But there’s a lot Katrina doesn’t know about Ames. Until he recently detransitioned, Ames was Amy, sharing the joys and pains of trans womanhood and a deep intimacy with her ex-girlfriend, Reese. While they were together, mothering a child was Reese’s dream, and now, Ames wonders if he could heal his heartbreak over Reese, and regain the closeness they lost, by raising this baby with her and Katrina both. That is, if either will agree to a version of motherhood that neither envisioned.
—Phoebe Farrell-Sherman, Associate Editor
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
In Shannon Chakraborty’s absolute joyride of a historical fantasy novel, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, the titular rogue is a former pirate captain who bid her life of oceanic crime adieu to enjoy a peaceful retirement with her family, especially her adorable 10-year-old daughter, Marjana. When Amina is offered a job that will reward her with untold riches if she succeeds, she takes it, thinking that the fortune could afford Marjana security for the rest of her life—but also that the job represents one last chance to get back to the freewheeling liberty of the open seas. That tension persists throughout the novel, as Amina savors the excitement and satisfaction of returning to the work she excels at, while also desperately missing her daughter and wondering whether she can ever unite the two halves of her life. Chakraborty lets this question simmer in the background as Amina continues her voyage (She wouldn’t be much of a pirate if she were paralyzed by existential questions, now would she?), before bringing it to the surface in a rousing, deeply heartwarming ending that still makes me smile just thinking about it.
—Savanna Walker, Managing Editor
The Round House
On the surface, The Round House by Louise Erdrich reads like a coming-of-age novel following 13-year-old Joe Coutts’ summer adventures on an Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota. However, the narrative takes a devastating turn when Joe’s mother, Geraldine, suffers a brutal sexual assault that upends their life. While the police and Joe’s father move cautiously, Joe and his three best friends take matters into their own hands, setting out to find his mother’s attacker. Erdrich weaves mystery, humor and tragedy together to illustrate the void left when a mother struggles. As Geraldine locks herself away from the world in hopes of healing, Joe and his father grapple with daily life. Joe spends many nights with extended family as his mother retreats into herself and his father digs up cold leads. But while the novel is undeniably heavy, it also celebrates the mothering found in community, with aunts, uncles and grandparents stepping in for Geraldine when Joe needs them most. Ultimately, Erdrich shows the resilience a mother possesses, and how, even when shattered, she finds the strength to show up for her family.
—Rebecca Bonifacio, Marketing Manager
The Fourth Trimester
As a first-time mom, postpartum is a time that no one can really prepare you for: the intensity of birth, the loneliness of those early days of motherhood, the extreme guilt you feel for needing a break from your baby and—once you do get that break—the extreme longing you feel to be reunited with your child. The first three months postpartum, or as author Kimberly Ann Johnson calls it, the fourth trimester, is one of the most vulnerable and chaotic times a mother will experience. The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality was gifted to me when I returned home from the hospital with my little bundle. I found it particularly helpful when I was navigating the emotional ping-pong of the post-birth hormone drop. I was exhausted, trying to figure out how to take care of a newborn, but at the same time I needed to give myself time and space to heal. Reading this book helped me understand what was going on with my body, my mind and my emotions. It made me feel connected to all the mothers who had come before me and helped me to feel a little less crazy during the craziest time of my life.
—Meagan Vanderhill, Brand & Production Designer