
Motherland
What I’ve Learnt About Parenthood, Race and Identity
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy Now for £12.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Priya Joi
-
By:
-
Priya Joi
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
What does it mean to be a parent in a space where you are the minority?
Meandering through a supermarket highway of camembert and baguettes, Priya Joi heard a heart-stopping confession about her daughter's identity that made her entire being implode like a dying star. Confronted with the fact that maybe her daughter was not entirely at peace with her appearance, she suddenly had to grapple not only with motherhood but also how to talk to her kid about race and identity.
In M(other)land, Joi writes powerfully about how her personal and cultural identity intersect with motherhood - and how they inform her identity as a (British-Indian) parent and step-parent. The book is her powerful, witty response to the absence of an inclusive, accessible blueprint for navigating life as a multi-faceted mother. By sharing her own story, she writes into this silence and provides a voice of understanding for all those who fall outside of dominant presentations of 'parenthood' and have never seen themselves or their experiences represented.
M(other)land is a crucial book for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of race and motherhood, who has ever felt 'other', who has struggled to reconcile their past or cultural upbringing with how they raise the next generation. Joi passes on hard-won knowledge that has taken years to learn: the complexity of your identity is just who you are - it's okay to be both, neither, or multiple things at once - instead of fighting it, feeling 'neither' is a strength and a state of mind that you can revel in.
'This is the kind of book I wish I had access to as a young mum' Nadiya Hussain
'A beautifully written memoir and a thought-provoking critical intervention into race and motherhood - we can all learn something from this brilliant must-read book' Julia Samuel, leading British psychotherapist and bestselling author
©2023 Priya Joi (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Motherland
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kathleen Kettles
- 29-03-23
Everyone should read this!
This book is incredibly moving, insightful, uplifting and heartbreaking. As a white British woman I felt so upset and angry at the racism that has and still plagues non-white people in the U.K Everyone, no matter what colour should read this book and realise the daily lived experience of one woman and her family and how she has navigated that for herself - and how she wants to support her daughter in European countries where discrimination is sadly still rife. I hope this review doesn’t make it sound like a heavy read - it isn’t - I laughed, gasped and shed a tear - I highly recommend that you just read it!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!