From television and radio appearances by editor Samantha Parent Walravens and her 47 contributors to interviews and major book-signing events, TORN: True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood (ISBN: 978-1-60381-097-5, $18.95, 288 pp.) is creating quite a stir, and the momentum shows no sign of letting up.
Newspapers such as the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times have enthusiastically endorsed the book, as have online blogs, review sites, and regional newspapers nationwide. On June 14th, Editor Walravens spoke at the Big City Moms event in New York City and continues to jet around the country offering solace and hope for exhausted working and stay-at-home moms everywhere.
Here are excerpts from some of the many reviews that have come in since the book was released on May 1, 2011:
“What will we be reading first? Something new and in paperback.... I chose [TORN] as the first Motherlode Book because it is a subject that resonates with me both personally and professionally.” – Lisa Belkin, The New York Times “Motherlode” Columnist
“[TORN] is a welcome addition to this body of work …. The point that nobody actually has it all is made all the more compelling when it is made by a choir of voices.” – Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times
“A fresh approach to the question we all cry out at least once a day: Is it possible to do it all and still be who I am?” –San Francisco Book Review
“Samantha Parent Walravens adds a valuable resource to the conversation with her new book.... In the compliation of essays, 47 women share their genuine and varied perspectives on the competing responsibilities of work and family life.” – UrbanBaby.com
“I can’t tell you how grateful I was to pick up Torn.... I devoured the essays in this collection hungrily, seeking comfort from other women who all seem to feel remarkably just as I do....” –TheFertileSource.com
“How can it be worth it, right? It's hard to explain until you're in it. Hard to explain, too, how much the goal of striking a balance for yourself and your families, or simply just having enough to make ends meet these days, can lead women to feel so inadequate and stressed. But Torn comes close, and shows us that when you want to talk about motherhood and work, 47 different voices are probably just the tip of the iceberg.” – Abi Cotler-O’Roarty, HUFFPOST BOOKS
“ In true stories ranging from the comically unnerving – the overextended working mother who stayed up until after midnight to make the perfect dessert – to the poignant – an Army officer stationed in Iraq agonizing over missing her daughter’s birthday party – Samantha Parent Walravens’ collection captures the complex world of the contemporary mother, whether she is working or staying-at-home.” – The Two River Times
“TORN is an excellent choice for anyone who doesn’t want to feel alone while pulling their hair out trying to fit it all in.” —The Midwest Book Review
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