A Review of “The Wilderness of Motherhood”

Last updated on: October 12, 2014 at 4:19 pm by Sarah Moon

A Review of “The Wilderness of Motherhood” 2014-10-12T16:19:28-05:00 Sarah Moon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“What I want to see is the card with the naked warrior woman, flecked in blood and gore, with her sword in one hand and her other holding her baby to her hip. I want to see the corpses of defeated demons at her feet. After birthing my son, that is motherhood to me.” –Lora Freeman Williams

Lora Freeman Williams recently sent me a copy of her new book The Wilderness of Motherhood to read and review. This book is a memoir of her experiences as a mother, and how those experiences were shaped by her experiences with her own mother. If you enjoy memoirs, this is a good one to check out. It is well-written, interesting, and empowering.

I am not a mother or parent myself. I’ve never been pregnant, never given birth, and never adopted or raised a child (sometimes I tell people my cats are my babies, but I’m not sure that counts here). So I read Williams’ book as an outsider to the world of child-birthing and parenting.

Still, even as an outsider, I found it beautiful how she was able to draw connections between giving birth and mothering and her own spirituality.

Giving birth is an experience mostly shared by people on the margins of society. Usually the people who give birth are women. Other sometimes they are queer or trans people. Parenting is also an experience that is often seen as “women’s work.” Patriarchal society sometimes uses these experiences of parenting/giving birth to keep women and marginalized folks in line–to put us in boxes, and deny us full humanity. Giving birth and parenting are simultaneously degraded and put on a pedestal.

What I liked about Williams’ book is how she was able to describe her experiences and connect them to her faith and spirituality in a way that broke out of those boxes. She doesn’t need to pretend that all mothers are saints in order for her to draw meaning from her experience with mothering. She shares her own story with wisdom and honesty, but also with compassion and grace, both for her mother and for herself.

Williams shares with us her upbringing and her complicated and difficult memories of her childhood and of her relationship with her own mother. She shares how it feels to not have a mother or any parent to care for you, as she tells about her time spent in a children’s home after her mother was arrested. She talks about how she became a mother herself, while “carrying” her mother with her.

Whether you’re a parent, or whether you have gone through a different type of wilderness, Lora Freeman Williams’s book is one that you will enjoy. Her story is powerful and empowering. If you are interested in checking out her book, pick up a copy at Amazon.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 10, 2014

Liberating Liturgies: Virgin Mary and the Purity Myth

Next Post

October 13, 2014 "Hymens are for Forming Blood Covenants" and Other Things I've Learned from Christian Dating Books

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2017 March 2017 November 2016 October 2016 July 2016 June 2016 March 2016 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I went uninvited before the king, risking death, saying 'If I perish, I perish.' Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Deborah Ruth Vashti Esther