'And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready' by Meaghan O'Connell is a brutally honest memoir that delves into the author's experiences with pregnancy, childbirth, and the challenges of first-time motherhood. O'Connell's writing style is raw and real, offering a refreshing take on motherhood that is not overly gushing or excessively jokey. Readers appreciate the author's candidness in describing her struggles and emotions, finding her story relatable and eye-opening. also touches on themes of postpartum depression, relationship dynamics during parenthood, and the conflicting emotions that come with the transition into motherhood.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is marked by brutal honesty and a candid tone, though some find it conflicted and overly focused on the author's personal experiences.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around the author's raw and candid experiences during pregnancy, childbirth, and the struggles of early motherhood, juxtaposing idealized expectations with reality.

Setting:

The setting is not geographically defined but focuses on contemporary motherhood's emotional landscape and societal pressures.

Pacing:

The pacing is generally quick and easy, allowing readers to finish it in a short time, though some find it inconsistent due to the narrative's conflicts.

A baby was the thing we were trying to keep out. A baby was a consequence. A fuckup. Or it had been until recently, when, like a joke that slowly becomes sincere, I started imagining myself pregnant i...

Genres:

Topics:

motherhood

pregnancy

childbirth

postpartum depression

Notes:

The book is praised for its brutally honest depiction of motherhood.

Meaghan O'Connell shares her raw feelings and struggles about pregnancy and childbirth.

Many readers relate to her experiences and appreciate her candid approach.

Some find the writing to be overly self-centered and lacking broader perspective.

Postpartum depression is mentioned but not explored in depth, according to some critiques.

Readers feel that O'Connell's experience is her own and not universally applicable to all parents.

The memoir's conflicting narrative style may leave some readers confused about the author's feelings.

A significant theme is the pressure women feel regarding motherhood and how they should cope with challenges.

The relationship dynamics between the author and her partner are highlighted as an authentic part of her story.

Many readers feel that the book provides a much-needed reality check about parenting, away from sugarcoated narratives.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include honest discussions of postpartum depression, anxiety, and the difficulties of childbirth and parenting.

From The Publisher:

A raw, funny, and fiercely honest account of becoming a mother before feeling like a grown up.

When Meaghan O'Connell got accidentally pregnant in her twenties and decided to keep the baby, she realized that the book she needed - a brutally honest, agenda-free reckoning with the emotional and existential impact of motherhood - didn't exist. So she decided to write it herself.

And Now We Have Everything is O'Connell's exploration of the cataclysmic, impossible-to-prepare-for experience of becoming a mother. With her dark humor and hair-trigger B.S. detector, O'Connell addresses the pervasive imposter syndrome that comes with unplanned pregnancy, the fantasies of a "natural" birth experience that erode maternal self-esteem, post-partum body and sex issues, and the fascinating strangeness of stepping into a new, not-yet-comfortable identity.

Channeling fears and anxieties that are still taboo and often unspoken, And Now We Have Everything is an unflinchingly frank, funny, and visceral motherhood story for our times, about having a baby and staying, for better or worse, exactly yourself.

Smart, funny, and true in all the best ways, this book made me ache with recognition." - Cheryl Strayed

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And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready

Meaghan O'Connell