A review by njderoche
Motherhood by Sheila Heti

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

One of the most complicated books I’ve ever read. The stream of consciousness writing worked so well, it was like we were living in her head and only in her head. I had no sense of her life, her routine, her relationships outside of snippets of conversation and reflection. This book grapples with life choices, societal pressures, and what it means to live life authentically. I would be interested to reread this book when I am in my 30s, and again in my 40s, to see if my takeaway is the same and if I stand by what I believe to be true now. I loved the line about how we must accept the life that is being lived through us now and put the other lives we might have lived aside. By not making choices, we still make choices.