Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself Paperback – 25 May 2021

This is a beautifully written meditation on motherhood, drawing on the author's extensive experience as a Jungian therapist but wearing it very lightly. Following the trajectory of a central organising metaphor, taken from a fairytale - a woman going down a well, facing the dark, and coming back with treasure - the book goes through various universal experiences of motherhood, both dark and light, and encourages the reader to find meaning and growth in each of them. Lisa Marchiano draws sensitively upon anecdotes from her own and from clients' maternal lives to illustrate her points. Along the way, other fairytales are fascinatingly called upon to offer symbolic meaning, reminding the reader that much of her experience is shared across time and place. Though, in a sense, this is a "self-help" book, it is far from the trite cliches of positive thinking. Rather, it is in service of a larger self that includes the unconscious and what is often in the "shadow" of the mind, neglected and unlooked-at: rage and envy towards one's children, sadness at the passing of time, and fear of one's own mortality, among others. Marchiano encourages us to face these challenging emotions staunchly and with acceptance, and to enlarge our selves as a result. She also reminds us of the joy and play of mothering, and to enjoy it while it lasts. Though this is mainly and unashamedly a book for mothers, i also think that fathers would get a lot out of it, since many of its themes are resonant for them too.

Words do no justice to how incredible this book by Lisa Marchiano is. I'm a first time mother and it was through my personal healing journey that I stumbled upon the support of archetypes and myths to help me make sense of the postpartum fog. Just when I wanted to dive deeper, Lisa's book came out. A gift from the Universe.I loved the way Lisa gently introduces the reader to archetypes, myths and Jung's work while getting the reader face to face with the darkness and light of motherhood.This book is an essential to anyone in mist of motherhood and wanting to make sense of this enormous transition.Lisa takes you through a deep and powerful journey, where at the end it's a like a new becoming- as it was for me.This book will forever stay with me, a million thanks yous Lisa.

Love listening to Lisa Marchiano and others on a podcast. Enjoyed this book exploring a side to motherhood less well written and spoken about. I wasn't sure about the fairytales and legends that accompany each chapter, but actually they really work and offer a different dimension to understanding what the author writes. I also liked the questions at the end of each chapter which allowed me to really engage with the book as a work book. Given as a gift to a small select group of mum friends who are willing to go there and examine the darker side of motherhood!

There can't be any other book like this out there on Morherhood, and it was vital in my own journey. The format of looking at motherhood through the lens of fairy tales was incredibly moving and thought provoking. It also prompted me to think of my own internal narratives about mothering, not really something I had done before; and so enabled me to remember forgotten narratives, and to piece together a new way of seeing my own experience. A wonderful book I will keep coming back to- a must-read.

I have just finished the book having read it at every given opportunity over the past week and I find myself feeling pretty emotional. My children are 19 and 16 and I brought them up pretty much on my own. They are leaving/left and making their own cool way in life and generally doing everything they should be, which is great, but the reflection and dissection of this journey that this book brings to my experience over the past 20 years is quite something.I relate to every word in the book, every story and every sadness and every joy.I've always had the feeling that being a mother was a 'diminished role' or a 'side show' to real life over all of this time and I feel so emotional looking back over the gigantic journey we made together and yes, how I have grown from the role. Thanks Lisa. I know I will return to this book as it settles and percolates, bringing me more opportunity for growth.

A fantastic book which I think would benefit all mums irrespective of the children's age. It has really helped me to think about the parts of my parenting I find very difficult to engage with and accept, to notice them with a sense of curiosity and kindness and therefore to begin the process of integrating them rather than letting them remain split off and end up as projections. As a trainee psychotherapist, it has also helped enormously with my clinical work. Can't recommend highly enough.