Will You Be Mother?: Women Who Choose to Say No
Setting out to dispel the myths that women without children are either infertile or "hard-driven career women," freelance journalist Bartlett draws on interviews with 50 British women who have chosen, for a variety of reasons, to remain childfree. She uses the women's own words to describe their reasons for choosing to be different in a world where childbearing is seen as a part of the "normal" lifecycle. These 50 different experiences effectively demonstrate that the old stereotypes are invalid. Bartlett attempts to use the book to break down barriers between women with children and those who are childfree. Unfortunately, she falls short of this goal. Some of the responses of interviewees show that they are as hostile and close-minded as the people they condemn for not understanding them. Still, the book has merit in offering an alternative voice. For larger women's collections.?KellyJo Houtz Griffin, Northwest Hosp., Seattle, Wash.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.