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Anita's Reviews > Mass Mothering
Mass Mothering
by
by
I won an advance copy of Mass Mothering from a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Bruni's novel alternates between two mediums. The first is a journalistic manuscript, Field Notes, whose author has—at great political risk—chronicled the stories of mothers whose sons have been disappeared by the government. The second is a first-person account from A., who is translating Field Notes.
It's a fast read broken into ultra-brief chapters that takes a unique, multi-layered approach to its themes. Whose stories get listened to? How does altering the identities of those involved change people's willingness to listen? These questions take on a lot of weight considering the conspicuous choice to anonymize the names of characters and the countries in which the story takes place. As the title suggests, this is also a story about motherhood as community and the role of grief as both a shared experience but also one that is entirely individualized and incomparable.
Readers who enjoy reading between the lines and are comfortable with ambiguity will find a lot to appreciate in this novel. 4/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bruni's novel alternates between two mediums. The first is a journalistic manuscript, Field Notes, whose author has—at great political risk—chronicled the stories of mothers whose sons have been disappeared by the government. The second is a first-person account from A., who is translating Field Notes.
It's a fast read broken into ultra-brief chapters that takes a unique, multi-layered approach to its themes. Whose stories get listened to? How does altering the identities of those involved change people's willingness to listen? These questions take on a lot of weight considering the conspicuous choice to anonymize the names of characters and the countries in which the story takes place. As the title suggests, this is also a story about motherhood as community and the role of grief as both a shared experience but also one that is entirely individualized and incomparable.
Readers who enjoy reading between the lines and are comfortable with ambiguity will find a lot to appreciate in this novel. 4/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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