Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: A Novel

by Jessica Guerrieri

There is something so appealing about a freshly bathed child, though the effort it takes to get them from point A to point Z, where they are finally tucked away in bed safely, is more daunting than training for a marathon.

I want to tell her she has no idea how much a woman can lose herself inside of motherhood. How at first it all sounds so gloriously appealing, reshaping your identity to include “giver of life.” But then instead of being a whole person, you’re chopped into a million little pieces, and all that’s yours at the end of the night are whatever leftovers you can muddle together.

realizing that the narrative of motherhood reads mostly about all that’s given and nothing about what’s taken away.