Fruitful: A Real Mother

by Anne Roiphe

Book Overview

A finely crafted and unique pro-feminist/pro-family position that calls for productive dialogue on quality childcare, Fruitful offers a personal and profound healing message for every woman torn... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140266720
• ISBN13: 9780140266726
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

fascinating discussion

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Roiphe does a very good job of portraying the conflicting thoughts and emotions of mothers who consider themselves feminists. She's very sympathetic to the importance of mothers and mothering, and I was relieved by that. This is not a feminist mother-"hating" book! Thank you, Ms. Roiphe!

A breath of fresh air

Though there are imperfections, I greatly appreciated this book. I believe that it is an extremely important contribution for anyone interested in feminism and contemporary life for women and mothers. As a feminist, a mother and a social worker (both practitioner and academician), I have struggled to bridge the realities of my life with feminist ideologies (and I have read a great deal of this literature). No one can negate the value of the feminist movement for making huge advances for women in this world. Thank God for it. But an unfortunate and perhaps unintended outcome of feminism is that, in truth, it left a lot of women out. I am struck, year after year as I teach new groups of social work students (mostly women, in a profession built on feminist principles) how many of them feel they cannot call themselves feminists! I have also seen this in my clinical practice. I think this is because the "dogma" of feminism can be quite alienating and self-righteous--too much of how things "should" be and not enough attention to how things are for many women. That can really put people off, and, if they have poor self esteem, even make them feel flawed. In practice, feminism has not been very tolerant of different ways of life. Anne Roiphe's book, even with its imperfections, manages to call attention to these issues, and I think she is right--feminism didn't embrace motherhood in a helpful way, even if it acknowledged the difficulties of balancing work life and motherhood, nor did it help women in their relationships with men very much. I realize this is very complex, but the outcome cannot be denied. Though many read this book and interpret it as a step backwards, I think Roiphe (and her daughter, Katie, by the way) are working to reach more women, to challenge outdated feminist ideas to help modernize feminist concerns. I appreciate her dissenting voice.

Very thoughtful

Just completed Roiphe's memoir 1185 Park Avenue- and loved it so much had to read what she was thinking about modern motherhood. As a working mother or two living in NYC Roihe speaks to women like me who are indeed struggling with career and family. For readers who are in this position, I think they will find the book most supportive and soothing. Roiphe makes the point well that working families with children do not have enough community support needed to sustain the demanding life of working mom -that America is too "nuclear". At the same time manages to debunk alot of of fervent feminist rhetoric that simply does not speak to most women's reality. However, Roiphe may have spent too much dissecting the old feminist rallying cries of anit-men and motherhood. I think most women living real life as mothers/workers in the current times realize that much of the feminist movement rhetoric are outdated. Recommended for those interested in a woman's very sensitive and thoughtful journey through motherhood.

Excellent ! Well worth reading for all women

This is the best book I've read on the subject of being a mother and working. Roiphe hits the nail on the head: childcare has not been adequately dealt with in women's lives. How can a woman exist who is dedicated to her career and also a loving mother ? Roiphe asks us to rethink our answer to this; and to back it up with actions, to support all women. I agree !!! Kimberly Fujioka, university English Instructor now working as a teacher and mother in Japan.

I enjoyed this book immensely.

As a mother, a feminist and a career-minded person, I found enormous solace in this book. It very much spoke to me in the daily search for the right balance and healthy approach toward mothering. It is refreshing to know that I am not the only feminist who finds herself so wholly absorbed by her child but also curious about what this might mean for other parts of myself. I know there will be those who find Roiphe a bit reactionary, but that's no reason to ignore the many many truths in the book