Books by Barbara Almond

Mixed feelings about motherhood-uncertainty over having a child, fears of pregnancy and childbirth, or negative thoughts about one's own children-are not just hard to discuss, they are a powerful social taboo. In this beautifully written book, Barbara Almond brings this troubling issue to light. She uncovers the roots of ambivalence, tells how it manifests in lives of women and their children, and describes a spectrum of maternal behavior-from normal feelings to highly disturbed mothering. In a society where perfection in parenting is the unattainable ideal, this compassionate book also shows how women can affect positive change in their lives.

This text explores a variety of novels that describe internal, personal change. It illustrates that there are parallels between the processes that lead to change in literary characters and the mechanisms observed in psychotherapeutic change.