Love Rebel: Reclaiming Motherhood, by Anna Eastland, Monique LeBlanc, Bonnie Way, Monique Les and Melanie Jean Juneau, edited by Roberta Cottam (Village Acres Publishing, 2015)
Love Rebel is a refreshing affirmation of the value of at-home motherhood as a valid life choice.
According to the introduction, “The women featured in this book are rebels in today’s birthing and parenting culture.” They’re not angry or defiant like many rebels, and this isn’t a book that attacks the choices of working moms or childless women. These are grounded, articulate and educated women who have chosen to embrace a lifestyle that the majority of North America either devalues or deems impossible.
How many of us who are mothers have struggled with the well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) advice, pressures and expectations of others? These five writer-moms offer support, encouragement and hope.
The essays and poetry in this anthology celebrate large families, small moments, and the courage to follow one’s dream even if that dream is counter-cultural. Selections include survival tips and a “Recipe for creating a strong, flexible mother” as well as candid talk about subjects like parenting with hearing loss and the death of a child.
Love Rebel is an anthology of five Canadian Catholic bloggers, and while Protestants will note a few points of theological difference, they will find more points where they can agree. It’s a short book, and an encouraging read. I wish I’d had a copy of this book when my children were young.
[Review copy provided by the authors.]