by Amanda Montei

There are dark thoughts in motherhood. When (rarely) acknowledged, we often (rightfully) seek to validate one set of these dark thoughts: intrusive ideas around harming our babies/children. Amanda Montei’s non-fiction book “Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control” wades into another set of dark thoughts — the connection between all-consuming motherhood and a culture that trains girls and women from a young age that their bodies are not their own. Grounded in her personal experience with the “grey areas” of consent and sex, Montei’s personal story may not resonant with all readers. But if you’ve ever felt a simmering (or boiling over) rage at handing your body over to another person, this book sounds out in the darkness, a call to mothers everywhere to pull up a chair and voice their stories.