Great With Child: Letters to a Young Mother - Hardcover

A toddler's mother, both an intimate guide and an affectionate coach, writes to a pregnant friend about the transforming experience of motherhood. "These are letters I would have welcomed when I was pregnant," says Beth Ann Fennelly, as she seeks to go beyond the nuts and bolts or sentimentality of other parenting literature. The letters range in tone from serious to sisterly, from light-hearted to downright funny. Some answer specific questions such as decisions about pain relief; others muse about the identity shift a woman encounters when she enters motherhood or address our responsibility to the natural world. Still others explore the magic and mysteries of childbirth. Here, are modern letters written in an old-fashioned way, with the sensibility of a spirited, fearless poet. Though written for a specific person, their themes are universal, inviting all mothers to join the grand circle of giving and receiving advice about children.

The award-winning poet BETH ANN FENNELLY is the author of Tender Hooks (ISBN 0 393 32685 3).