Surrendering to Motherhood: Losing Your Mind, Finding Your Soul [Paperback]

Iris Krasnow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 1998

The story of a woman who came of age with the sexual revolution who finds emancipation in the Zen of motherhood, "Surrendering to Motherhood" is about letting go of the need to achieve and finding one's true self.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Krasnow, a freelance journalist who has worked for the Washington Post and UPI, begins her memoir by remarking, "after years of trying to find power in various gurus, interviews with movie stars, senators, and even a queen, surrendering to motherhood was the most liberating and powerful thing" she ever did. In great detail, Krasnow takes us through her life as a child growing up in Chicago, college in California, glamorous jobs, a string of exotic boyfriends, and success in her field. She still felt "something huge was missing." After various quests, she married and is now the mother of four boys under seven and has surrendered to days of diapers and educating her sons. By the end of the book, she has realized that no one can have it all, that sometimes more is just more. We know that out of the havoc she has found peace. Her book is a bit whiny and filled with too much "me generation" angst. Still, the writing is first-rate. Recommended for general collections.?Susan Dearstyne, Hudson Valley Cty. Coll., Albany, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Miramax (April 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786883189
• ISBN-13: 978-0786883189
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #799,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Surrendering to the Backlash, August 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Surrendering to Motherhood: Losing Your Mind, Finding Your Soul (Hardcover)

In chronicling her journey from driven career-woman to driven mom, Iris Krasnow makes some valuable points, such as the importance of enjoying one's children on a day-to-day basis, and the value of living in the here and now. However, she takes an enormous leap in implying that to do this requires one to "surrender" to housework and childcare and give up, or drastically curtail, many of the career interests that a woman had before bearing children. The life at home advocated by Krasnow, involving cleaning up children's messes and ignoring more adult interests, sounds suspiciously like the depressing 1950s myth of fulfilled womanhood that Betty Friedan worked to dispel in The Feminine Mystique. Her advocacy of such a life is also more than a little disingenuous, given that Krasnow is actually working nearly half-time as a writer and has a significant amount of childcare available. I wonder if her joy in the life of a housewife and stay-at-home mom would persist if she did not have her career as an intellectual outlet.

54 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Is this what one calls Surrendering?, June 15, 2000

By 

Susan Shams (West Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surrendering to Motherhood: Losing Your Mind, Finding Your Soul (Hardcover)

I was introduced to this book by my husband.He was listening to a radio talk show, while driving to work. Their guest was Iris Krasnow, the author of Surrenderig to Motherhood. He apparantly liked what he heard, because he came home, raving about this book. He insisted that I MUST read it. He claimed that it would make my life as a mother oh so clear.

I finally agreed. He bought me the book and waited expectantly. I told him that I must first READ it before gaining insight. I started into this autobiography of sorts. I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but it certainly was not this.

I honestly did not like this book. I forced myself to finish it, just to make my husband happy. I did not feel as if I had gained anymore wisdom or insight in my role as a mother. I stay home with my children of my own free will, I would sacrifice everything for them. Yet, it nearly took the death of Iris Krasnows firstborn child, to realize that she was missing out on everything.

I cannot see what was the huge sacrifice that Iris Krasnow made. Nothing is too good to let go of for your own flesh and blood. Besides, she supposedly had the perfect life. College in sunny California, Jet Setter jobs in Chicago and Houston. A perfect journalistic opportunity in Washington.

She fell in love with and married the so called perfect man. Maintained the perfect size 6 body. I mean this woman had absolutely no complaints. Good jobs, lots of money and a great loving and supportive husband. And to top it all off, she was in her late thirties when she had her first child. Far from being a young chick.

This woman had and has it all. She is happy and content with her life. She has accomplished many dreams in her forty some years. Staying home and raising your children should be a given. Especially if you have the means, as Iris Krasnow does. I truly do not see that she had much surrendering to do.

Stay home and raise your children? Yes, that would be great and perfect. I am sure that anyone given the means would jump at the opportunity to make their children first priority. But unfortunately some people live in the REAL world. That is not always what one can do. Sometimes surrendering is out of our hands.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Didn't enjoy in the least!, February 20, 2001

By 

Tia (Schaumburg, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surrendering to Motherhood: Losing Your Mind, Finding Your Soul (Hardcover)

Sorry to all the previous reviewers, but I cannot say that I liked this book. I couldn't see that Iris Krasnow had much surrendering to do. This book isn't about motherhood, it's about Iris's life as a journalist, student, lover etc... Her reference to her children is minute at best. This book was a wasted couple of hours, that I will never get back. Don't make my mistake, and read it too.