Customers say
Customers find the memoir honest and unapologetic. They describe it as a great, wonderful read with witty and clear writing. Readers find the book engaging and eye-opening.
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NATIONAL BESTSELLER
An unflinching motherhood memoir that dares to ask what happens when “what to expect when you’re expecting” turns out to be months of rage, anguish, brain fog, and a total surrender of sex, career, and identity.
“A long overdue reality check.” —Oprah Daily
“Honest, unapologetic, and brutally funny.” —Stephanie Danler, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetbitter
A Most Anticipated Book of 2025 by Oprah Daily, Town & Country, and Brit + Co
“The kid was objectively a tiny worm, even worse, a worm with my nose.” Welcome to Sarah Hoover’s candid and propulsive take on motherhood where she turns the ecstatic narrative women have been fed—one of immediate connection to your child followed by a joyful path of maternal discovery—on its head.
Like most of us, Sarah Hoover grew up imagining a certain life for herself, and when she moved from Indiana to New York City to study art history, the life she’d imagined began falling into place. She got her degree in art history, landed a job in a gallery, made friends, and met interesting artists, one of whom became her husband. But when Hoover got pregnant, everything in her life began to unravel.
She felt like an imposter in her own body. She grew distant from her friends and husband. Anxiety, fear, guilt, and shame threatened to swallow her. She also experienced trauma at the hands of one of her doctors—a stark trigger. And when her son was born, there was no… joy.
Her despair was persistent, even with help, therapy, and pills. Grieving a lost identity and angry at the world around her, she found herself despising her baby, her husband, and herself. She was afraid it might not end. With the help of a doctor’s diagnosis, Hoover began to understand the cluster of symptoms that informed her experience—she was drowning in postpartum depression—and that she wasn’t a bad mother or a failed woman.
At its core, The Motherload is about learning to forgive yourself. It’s a rejection of the cultural idea of the mother as a perfect being. And it’s an honest, propulsive, and often funny take on the vicissitudes of marriage, life, and parenting—a motherhood memoir unlike any other.
From the Publisher
Publisher : S&S/Simon Element (January 14, 2025)
Language : English
Hardcover : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 1668010135
ISBN-13 : 978-1668010136
Item Weight : 1.14 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
by MC
Loved
Hooverâs debut novel is illuminating and wonderful. All women will find something (if not many things) in her story to connect with. Is she privileged? Yes. Is her experience impactful and beautifully written nonetheless? absolutely.
by Ann Peterson
Great read!
Sarah Hooverâs The Motherload is an emotional rollercoaster that dives into the untold truths of motherhood with humor and raw honesty. Sarahâs brilliance shines through as she shares her deepest, most intimate thoughts, balancing vulnerability with sharp wit and clarity. From her beginnings in Indiana to life in the big city, I felt like I was right there beside her, experiencing every moment of her journey. This book is not only easy to read but utterly captivating. I couldnât put it down and canât wait to see what she creates next!
by Joan B
The Weight of Motherhood
The Motherload is Hooverâs account of the severe postpartum depression she experienced after the birth of her first child, and how it affected her sense of self as well as her marriage.Unlike Anna Marie Tendlerâs Men Have Called Her Crazy, Hooverâs memoir is raw and unflinchingly honest. It also advances the readerâs knowledge of postpartum depression by showing how prior sexual trauma, and trauma unnecessarily inflicted by health care providers during the birth process can make the experience much worse.However, the book will likely engender strong mixed responses as Hooverâs experiences are colored by social class. The financial resources to which Hoover has access â including a full-time nanny, therapy, and time away from work â are luxuries very few women can afford. While acknowledging her privilege, Hoover does not address what ordinary women should do if they find themselves suffering the same debilitating condition.That being said, I still found the book to be a worthwhile read, as it is a well-written and compelling account of the ravaging effects of postpartum depression on the many women who have suffered in silence.Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of this book.
by ilana
For moms and non-moms alike
I loved this book! Hoover’s wildly honest memoir is a perfect read for anyone who has ever struggled to feel the way the world expects them to feel. You don’t have to be a mother to experience the load of emotions, vulnerability, and wicked humor on every page.
by cece barfield
A must read
Equally entertaining and eye opening, Sarah bravely tells her journey into motherhood. She spares no detail. It is an unapologetically honest reflection of the expectations she just couldnât meet as a new mother despite âhaving it all.â Her journey from the brink of motherhood will have you crying, laughing, and rooting for her the entire way. This memoir changes the dialogue and is a critical read for anyone interested in modern culture and the female experience.
by Chloe
No Skeletons in this Mother’s Closet
Is it alarmingly honest? Yes. Is that a total delight to read? Absolutely! Hoover’s debut memoir is funny, tender, thought-provoking and impossible to put down.
by Lily Mortimer
We all need to read this!!!
As someone who has yet to produce a human, I am eternally grateful for this book existing. It is one of the wittiest, honest, eloquent takes on motherhood. I have so many friends who have struggled with postpartum in varying degrees and am relieved it is finally at long last being destigmatized. I think we are lucky to have someone like Sarah Hoover to do that for us. I bought another copy for my boyfriend because I think men need to be educated on the myth of motherhood as well. I cannot believe this is her first book, I hope it is not her last!
by Brian Collesano
Could not put it down!!
After being unable to get through a book for 3 years after I had my daughter, I blew through this in 3 days. It is raw and unapologetic and honestly the voice of a generation. Hoover says all the things we are told not to say and feels all the things we are scared to admit we feel. From her experiences with men in her 20s to her birth and post partum trauma, I felt she was writing my story and the story of countless women I know! Itâs also so damn funny and well written. Couldnât have loved it more!
by Liz
Honest, funny, raw, and reassuringâthis is the book we need to be giving to expecting mothers, new mothers, mothers who still haven’t healed from their birth & postpartum experience – however many years later – men, ESPECIALLY MEN. Sarah has a knack for writing about painful, harrowing experiences with levity and compassion for herself and anyone else who may have gone through something similar. I laughed, I cried, I took photos of passages I wanted to remember forever. It’s perfect!! Read it now!