When my daughter was a baby, it felt like nearly every conversation in my life followed the same script:
“One day she’ll sleep through the night.”
“We’re formula feeding.”
“Tummy time is going well.”
No matter the theme of the mom group, all the conversations seemed to be playing on a loop. In those early days it struck me how little my thoughts or opinions on anything besides my baby mattered to others. Motherhood changes nearly everything about day-to-day life, but underneath the new title of “Mom” we are still the interesting people we were before our children came along. In those early days I craved conversation about anything other than nap schedules and feeding statistics.
It was that desire for adult conversation that drove me back to my love of reading in those early days of parenthood. Losing myself in a book during naptime and reading insightful conversations between two grownups that occurred in beautiful, fictional worlds filled the intellectual void in me. Books gave me a sense of connection to the life that, for the time being, was on hold while I adjusted to motherhood.
As I developed closer relationships with other mothers, I learned that reading was a common escape. As moms, we appreciate the way reading brings us outside of ourselves and our own experiences for short spurts of time. And though reading is a solitary activity, it can also be a source of connection.
It’s with that in mind that I am honored to announce the formation of the Boston Moms Book Club!
Every month we will select a book written by a local mother to share with our community. Sometimes these books will center on themes of motherhood and family, other times we’ll indulge in pure escapism of worlds wildly different from our own. We will read diverse voices and perspectives. Most importantly, we will support the work of locals moms who are putting their stories into the world.
We cannot wait to share our first pick with you and hear your recommendations for books you’ve loved. Once a month we’ll gather, either in person or online, to discuss the books and what we took away from them. Stay tuned for our first ever selection — announcement coming soon!
