Maternal Desire - by Daphne De Marneffe (Paperback)

About the Book

What is the desire to mother? How do we undersatnd it, talk about it, think about it? Now in its second edition, this brilliantly acclaimed and groundbreaking book will transform readers' thinking about the place of child-rearing in mothers' lives. By reminding us that, for many parents, raising children provides a sense of meaning and fulfillment that nothing else in life offers, Maternal desire asks us to reconsider fundamentally the status of perception of motherhood in our society. Drawing on contemporary research, her clinical practice as a psychologist, and her own experience as a mother, de Marneffe writes with grace and lucidity as she explores the pleasures of motherhood - its emotional, intellectual, and spiritual rewards - and projects an inspiring new vision of women's lives today.

Book Synopsis

Esteemed psychologist Daphne de Marneffe examines women's desire to care for children in an updated reissue of her "fascinating analysis that's a welcome addition to the dialogues about motherhood" (Publishers Weekly).If a century ago it was women's sexual desires that were unspeakable, today it is the female desire to mother that has become taboo. One hundred years of Freud and feminism have liberated women to acknowledge and explore their sexual selves, as well as their public and personal ambitions. What has remained inhibited is women's thinking about motherhood. Maternal Desire is the first book to treat women's desire to mother as a legitimate focus of intellectual inquiry and personal exploration. Shedding new light on old debates, Daphne de Marneffe provides an emotional road map for mothers who work and mothers who are at home. De Marneffe both explores the enjoyment and anxieties of motherhood and offers mothers in all situations valuable ways to think through their self-doubts and connect to their capacity for pleasure. Drawing on a rich tradition of writers, such as Simone de Beauvoir, Adrienne Rich, Carol Gilligan, and Susan Faludi, as well as her experience as a psychologist and mother of three, de Marneffe illuminates how we express our desire to care for children. By treating maternal desire as a central feature of women's identity--rather than as an inconvenient or slightly embarrassing detail--we can look with fresh insight at controversial issues, such as childcare, fertility, abortion, and the role of fathers. An "absorbing look at the enormous personal pleasure that women derive from mothering....Maternal Desire is a stirring book that celebrates women's love for their children and mothering while also supporting their interest in careers and other pursuits" (Booklist).