Nobody's Mother

An intimate, honest, and insightful memoir for fans of Sheila Heti's Motherhood, following one Newfoundland woman's journey to decide whether or not having children is right for her.

To have children, or not to have children. That is the question.

Growing up in rural, Catholic Newfoundland in the 1990s, Lindsey Harrington had no childfree role models aside from nuns, and no idea that children were a choice. Like most little girls, she came of age playing with dolls and Easy-Bake Ovens. She was even cast as the Virgin Mary in her school Christmas play. Society was preparing her for a future as a bride and mother.

When she moves to St. John's for university, Lindsey is exposed to a world of gender studies courses and feminist novels, and meets women who don't plan to have children?ever. And she starts to wonder if she ever really wanted them herself. But what will her life look like if she throws away the script it seems like everyone else is following, and how will it impact her relationships?

Following one woman's journey to choose a childfree life, Nobody's Mother is a vulnerable, intimate, and insightful exploration of the societal expectations of women, mother-daughter dynamics, female friendship, mental health, and the maternal role of women in romantic relationships. A candid and timely memoir, Nobody's Mother will speak to the growing number of women who choose to be childfree as well as those who wish to understand that choice.