Soldier Sailor

I declare this the mother of all motherhood novels, the Kate Blanchett of its kind, detailing the life-changing act of becoming a mother with gritty, moment-by-moment immersion. The protagonist, Soldier, addresses her son Sailor, documenting her anxieties and frustrations about the dismissed labor of mothers, making me squirm as a male reader at the unfair division with her husband. It's dark, claustrophobic, and intense, yet infused with immaculate Irish comedy that finds levity in turmoil, handling heavy emotions with expert precision. I felt her ineptitude after the birth, her growing anxiety, frustration, and resentment, leading to a cathartic explosion that left me with a book hangover. Everyone should read it for empathy and validation; it's affirming for mothers and eye-opening for the world.