I am already getting a jump on 2012. I started this book last Thursday and I couldn't get enough of it. I ended up finishing it on New Year's Day.
Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
This book is about a girl named Paige and her struggle throughout her life without her mother. Her mother left when she was five and all her life she dreamed she would come back. When Paige became a mother herself she knew she was destined to repeat the cycle set in motion by her mother. When her baby was only 3 months old she set out to get some answers and search for her mother.
From the minute I read the synopsis on the back I knew this was a book I was going to like. Then when I read the first page I was hooked for sure. Any spare time that I had I was reading this book. I just had to know how it ended. Did Paige find her mother? Did she settle into her role as a mother? Did she work things out with the men in her life? So many questions that I wanted answered and while I got most of the answers I felt the ending of the book to be a little sudden. It seemed to just stop. It was wrapped up in a nice way and it led me to believe what I thought should happen, happened but it wasn't clear. At least I didn't think so.
Even so this book spoke to me. I love how Picoult is so open and honest about motherhood! I saw alot of myself in Paige. It is so hard being a new mother even when you have had one your whole life to show you how. No one can really explain to you what it is going to be like. As if pregnancy wasn't bad enough, the lack of sleep and postpartum hormones do weird things to your mind and your body. I remember the nights when we first brought Lauren home. How we would both be sitting in the rocking chair in the middle of the night crying. Her I have no idea why and me because I just wanted her to sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time. Some nights I would throw my hands up in the air and march into the bedroom where Brian was sleeping and beg him to take her.
The book briefly mentions the Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression and insinuates this is part of why Paige does what she does. These are things that aren't discussed enough with other women. We are so judgmental of each other that if we are struggling we don't want to share or seek help. We don't want to admit that our "motherly instinct" doesn't come as natural as we thought it would. We don't want other people, especially other mothers, to know the thoughts that are going on in our heads. I have a feeling that lots of mothers consider running away from it all. It is not easy! My goal is to encourage and support all my friends that are having babies after me so that they will not feel so alone. As women we should stick together and support one another instead of comparing ourselves and our children to one another. We shouldn't judge each other but yet lend a hand or an ear and be there when they need us.
OK enough soap boxes for one week! Really this is a good book to read. I enjoyed it which is why I read it so quickly. I have since started another book and am only on the third chapter after starting it five days ago.
Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
This book is about a girl named Paige and her struggle throughout her life without her mother. Her mother left when she was five and all her life she dreamed she would come back. When Paige became a mother herself she knew she was destined to repeat the cycle set in motion by her mother. When her baby was only 3 months old she set out to get some answers and search for her mother.
From the minute I read the synopsis on the back I knew this was a book I was going to like. Then when I read the first page I was hooked for sure. Any spare time that I had I was reading this book. I just had to know how it ended. Did Paige find her mother? Did she settle into her role as a mother? Did she work things out with the men in her life? So many questions that I wanted answered and while I got most of the answers I felt the ending of the book to be a little sudden. It seemed to just stop. It was wrapped up in a nice way and it led me to believe what I thought should happen, happened but it wasn't clear. At least I didn't think so.
Even so this book spoke to me. I love how Picoult is so open and honest about motherhood! I saw alot of myself in Paige. It is so hard being a new mother even when you have had one your whole life to show you how. No one can really explain to you what it is going to be like. As if pregnancy wasn't bad enough, the lack of sleep and postpartum hormones do weird things to your mind and your body. I remember the nights when we first brought Lauren home. How we would both be sitting in the rocking chair in the middle of the night crying. Her I have no idea why and me because I just wanted her to sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time. Some nights I would throw my hands up in the air and march into the bedroom where Brian was sleeping and beg him to take her.
The book briefly mentions the Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression and insinuates this is part of why Paige does what she does. These are things that aren't discussed enough with other women. We are so judgmental of each other that if we are struggling we don't want to share or seek help. We don't want to admit that our "motherly instinct" doesn't come as natural as we thought it would. We don't want other people, especially other mothers, to know the thoughts that are going on in our heads. I have a feeling that lots of mothers consider running away from it all. It is not easy! My goal is to encourage and support all my friends that are having babies after me so that they will not feel so alone. As women we should stick together and support one another instead of comparing ourselves and our children to one another. We shouldn't judge each other but yet lend a hand or an ear and be there when they need us.
OK enough soap boxes for one week! Really this is a good book to read. I enjoyed it which is why I read it so quickly. I have since started another book and am only on the third chapter after starting it five days ago.
The book sounds very good. I am hoping to read more this year but haven't seen a change yet! My mother was a alcoholic and she passed away at 56. I feel like I have been lost most of my life in the mothering department.
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