Reflexions: Reading in the present tense
, established and younger writers and other creative artists will reflect on a text that moved them, intellectually engaged them, frightened them or made them laugh. Our reviewer today is Yewande Omotoso who considers four books
about childbirth and parenting
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The run-up to conception was long. As a placeholder, I’ll use the word “difficult” to bracket that period of longing, compromise and loss – a lengthy reckoning with oneself and one’s complex desires. I became pregnant towards the end of 2019 as Covid was beginning to spread. With isolation, I anticipated lots of reading but what I hadn’t expected was how almost all my reading would be geared towards birth and parenting. My energies were turned towards the safe passage of the new lives and now that they were finally coming, what the hell was I going to do with them when they arrived? When I look back over my reading list through that period I see a mirror, showing me the things I’d hoped, the ideals I wanted to reach for, and my fears.