Summary
A Mother Held: Essays on Anxiety and Motherhood is a collection of essays by Lara D’Entremont. As the subtitle suggests, the focus of these is on anxiety and motherhood, touching on miscarriage, morning sickness, breastfeeding, grief, and overwhelm. In all of it, Lara encourages readers to look to how the Father is lovingly holding them.
Review
I loved this book. As a collection of essays, it was a little disjointed at times (was I going to read about motherhood generally or something more anxiety-specific in the next chapter?), but I found each chapter relatable and encouraging. “No Gold Stars for Burnout” and “What if it’s Me?” were the ones that resonated with me most, especially her discussion of intrusive thoughts.
Lara’s writing is beautiful and poetic (without being verbose or too abstract). Most of her essays are very story-heavy, some weaving together various snapshots of her life thematically to make a point. Some of the conversations, the way they’ve been written down, feel too neatly tied up, but other times they are more raw (like my own conversations).
Who It’s For
While other readers would still benefit from A Mother Held, those who have faced prenatal or postpartum anxiety will be the most encouraged.
If anxiety hasn’t been a struggle for you, you may not connect with it as much or as strongly, but still, breastfeeding struggles, identity, grief and joy, and burnout are topics most moms can relate to.
Theological Perspective
This book is explicitly Christian, and though more devotional than theological, it is still deep and rich theologically, especially considering how we view God.
The Sorrows of Eve 