The Monster Within: The Hidden Side of Motherhood
Summary
In our society nothing is more unacceptable, and no topic more taboo, than maternal ambivalence. Mothers are expected to love their children unconditionally and they are considered worse than unnatural if they are unable to do so. Yet, in Dr. Barbara Almond’s 35 years of clinical experience treating adult women as a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychoanalyst, she has never had a patient, or known any woman outside of the consulting room, who loved her children unconditionally. Human beings simply don’t work that way.
At this time in our social history, maternal devotion and perfection—often at the cost of the mother’s own needs—is portrayed as the norm in the media. THE MONSTER WITHIN: The Hidden Side of Motherhood uses disguised case studies from her own practice and examples culled from literature to paint a picture of motherhood that gives voice to the fears and guilt of countless women. Through these accessible narratives, Dr. Almond shows women that they are not alone in their feelings and shows them that they can approach their emotions in a healthier manner.
Rights
US publisher: University of California Press
Foreign rights: University of California Press, Randy Heyman (randy.heyman@ucpress.edu)
Film rights: Gillian MacKenzie, gmackenzie@gillianmackenzieagency.com
Reviews
"Just the thing for a gray and drizzly autumn afternoon. Drawing on her thirty-seven years of practice as a psychoanalyst as well as her own experiences as a mother, Almond leads an adventurous tour through the shadowy, secret parts of the mother's psyche. . . An oddly compelling read."--The New Yorker
"Myth-shredding look at maternal ambivalence." --Ms Magazine
"First, let me recommend this engrossing study to every new mother, old mother, good mother and bad mother. Sons, husbands, dads and lovers might profit from reading this, too. 'The Monster Within' addresses what everybody knows, but almost nobody talks about: Even the best mothers among us will be or have been tormented from time to time by strong feelings of dread, fear, hatred and even revulsion at the whole process of motherhood, as well as experiencing downright murderous feelings toward our children."--Washington Post Book World