Maxed Out: American Moms on the Brink (Unabridged)
-
- $17.99
-
- $17.99
Publisher Description
Katrina Alcorn was a 37-year-old mother with a happy marriage and a thriving career when one day, on the way to Target to buy diapers, she had a breakdown. Her carefully built career shuddered to a halt, and her journey through depression, anxiety, and insomnia - followed by medication, meditation, and therapy - began.
Alcorn wondered how a woman like herself, with a loving husband, a supportive boss, three healthy kids, and a good income, was unable to manage the demands of having a career and a family. Over time, she realized that she wasn't alone. As she questioned other working moms, she realized that many women were struggling to do it all, crashing, and feeling as if they were somehow failing as a result.
Mothers are the breadwinners in two-thirds of American families, yet the American workplace is uniquely hostile to the needs of parents. Weaving in surprising research about the dysfunction between the careers and home lives of working mothers, as well as the consequences to women's health, Alcorn tells a deeply personal story about "having it all,” failing miserably, and what comes after.
Ultimately, she offers readers a vision for a healthier, happier, and more productive way to live and work.
Customer Reviews
A new conversation about motherhood
"Your children are your heart. Let me take care of yours." These are the words that came out of the mouth of Katrina Alcorn’s childcare provider after the breakdown she accounts in her recent release. Her account and passion for opening a new discussion for moms in the US is sprinkled throughout this heartfelt, entertaining and data rich book. She is an amazing woman, successful in her career, putting herself out there – in paper – in the most vulnerable, raw and beautiful way. She discusses in depth about how coming up against your limits can really mess with your sense of identity, as a mom and yet so rarely do we discuss this publically. I am an advocate of maternal health, and YES this is a conversation we need to have at supper tables, at house and senate and congressional tables too. It's time to start. I think it's a must read for anyone who loves a mom.