New Zealand Women Talk about Motherhood
(Penguin 1988)
With this book Jenny Phillips threw open the doors to mothers, to write about their own experiences. The idea came after attending a workshop where women were asked to produce statements on what it was like to be in their situation and how they would like to be treated by other women. She was struck, for example, by the statement issued by women in voluntary work, asking others to recognize that ‘our time is valuable too.’
She sent over 300 questionnaires all over New Zealand to New Zealand mothers in all kinds of situations. ‘I believe women were willing to sit down at the kitchen table or office desks, in the middle of what, their letters told me, must have been a very demanding and pressing daily schedule, and write me fifteen page letters because they wanted someone to listen as they described their lives as mothers. How often is there anyone to listen?’
Jenny tackled the issues facing women as they began to move into the workforce in greater numbers – the way groups of women were turned against one another by false stereotypes, the myths and false assumptions about 1950s- western-style motherhood being ‘natural,’ and urged women to try and listen and understand one another. She then turned over the rest of the book to the words of the women in their questionnaire replies and letters – to ‘talk over the garden fence’ and share their different views and experiences. As she said, motherhood is very different at different stages, whether one is dealing with an able or more disabled child, and in different social and cultural situations.
‘Affordable first aid for mothers.’
Daily Post, Rotorua.
Jenny’s books are still available from many libraries, appear on second hand on sites such as Amazon.com and are regular sellers on auction sites such as Trademe. co.nz.
