Others Like Me - by Nicole Louie (Paperback)

About the Book

"A deeply personal exploration of childless and childfree women in their own words. Others Like Me is the story of fourteen women around the world, from different walks of life, who don't have children. It's also the story of why Nicole Louie had to find these women and what they taught her. Part memoir, part exploration of childlessness through candid conversations, this book showcases the many ways in which people find fulfilment outside of parenthood. And because the social expectation to procreate weighs the most on women, Louie focuses solely on them, their experiences, and how they flourish outside of motherhood. In doing so, she upends the stereotypes that diminish women who are childless by choice, circumstance, or ambivalence and offers reassurance and companionship on a path less known."--

Book Synopsis

In a world that expects all women to become mothers, what happens to those who circumvent motherhood?

Now and throughout history, women without children have been misunderstood and even vilified for not conforming to the prescriptive path of daughter, wife, mother, whether by choice, circumstance, or ambivalence. But with an increasing number of people choosing to forego children, Nicole Louie knew she was not alone. As she recounts her own journey toward embracing a life without children, Louie weaves in stories from the women around the world she found in her search for community and guidance, from their pasts to their presents to their hopes for the future.

Others Like Me is a candid, tender, and distinctive exploration of how fourteen women found fulfillment and flourished outside of motherhood, upending stereotypes and offering reassurance and recognition down a much-treaded but lesser-known track.

Review Quotes

"A must-read for everyone." -- Stylist

"Tender, emotive and quietly revelatory."-- Irish Times

"Others Like Me is invaluable ... There is a type of kinship offered by this new collection." -- Herizons

"Others Like Me is an honest reflection of a wide range of childfree women's emotions and experiences ... An essential read." -- Image Magazine

"An uplifting read about finding fulfilment outside of motherhood." -- Gloss Magazine

"Right from the opening pages, [Nicole Louie] treats the stories of her subjects and herself with gentleness and care." -- The /tƐmz/ Review

"A great read for those interested in the lives of people without children." -- Quebec Library Association

"Diligently researched and thoughtfully organized, Others Like Me is an honest look at the diverse identities and life paths of childless women." -- Maisonneuve

"An affirming account of the lives of childless and child-free women." -- Library Journal

"Louie presents brief, stylized first-person vignettes drawn from interviews with 14 other childless women, who offer up an intriguing range of rationales ... as well as sharp insights into both childlessness and parenthood." -- Publisher's Weekly