Mama Mia

You'll notice that my last post was blatantly ripped off from Mia Freedman's blog. I've been reading her latest book "Mama Mia - A Memoir of mistakes, magazines and motherhood', over the last few weeks and I've LOVED it! It's like reading therapy for mothers.

This is not high literature and there's a bit of 'naughty' language in it but there is so much in it that mothers can relate to. She's very honest about the reality of being a mum and the struggles of juggling a working life and a marriage and kids. (all my favourite kinds of topics!). Mia also shares the birth stories of her three kids (just like hanging out with the crowd at playgroup).

Mia is incredibly open and honest in sharing her story about a miscarriage at 19 weeks. Having had a few miscarriages myself I thought the way she expressed her experience was beautifully written. Terribly sad to read too. If you haven't had any miscarriages this is a helpful insight into what it feels like. It is a shame that more women don't write stories like these down.

Miscarriage is such a hidden grief and the more we talk about it, the better we can be at caring for each other. When I had my first miscarriage I only knew one other woman who'd had one. I found it terribly isolating and I would have loved to read a story like this.

Mia was editor of Cosmo for 10 years and the story of her career journey is intertwined with her family story. I found this interesting too because it gives lots of insights into the way magazines are put together. Mia genuinely seemed to want to represent women in all their shapes and sizes more accurately in her magazine but struggled to 'keep it real'. This is a theme that runs through the book.

Good holiday reading. Enjoy!