Book of the Year by New Yorker, New Statesman, and Daily Mail

Among the nominees for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction in 2024.

This radical new book examines the transition to motherhood and how it affects the mind, brain, and body. During pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood, women undergo extensive physiological, psychological, and social transformation.

This transition has been neglected by science, medicine, and philosophy, while its effects remain largely indifferent in literature and the arts. Discussions around motherhood often escape the stereotype of the pink dream.

Journalist and author Lucy Jones presents the emerging concept of "matrescence." Based on new research in various fields, such as neuroscience and evolutionary biology, Jones shows how much deeper, wilder, and more enduring the changes in the maternal mind, brain, and body are than we thought. She also presents the dangerous impacts of neglecting the maternal experience.

This urgent book explores contemporary motherhood, aiming to liberate all parents from oppressive social norms. As it delves into understanding matrescence, it poses vital questions about motherhood and femininity, interdependence and individual identity, as well as our relationships with each other and the living world.

Pages: 320, Dimensions: 12.8x12.8cm