Laura's Reviews > Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth

Hannah's Children really got me out of my ideological echo chamber. I really liked hearing the different women’s perspectives on the benefits of having children, and the meaning it brings to our lives. I’m grateful to the author for conducting this research into a realm that is understudied if not completely ignored, and the book definitely helped me grapple with explanations for the low birth rate in developed countries.

More personally, it helped me to articulate my own reasons for having kids, such as the idea that having children connects us to our ancestors like an "infinite chain" of humanity; that it's empowering and downright magical to create another life; that true satisfaction in life comes from giving ("give and you shall receive") and raising children is the ultimate test in how much we are willing to give; that having children brings meaning and purpose to our lives; and, appealing to my animist/pagan side, that it's an animal and bodily instinct that feels right to listen to.

With all of that said, I had serious issues with the quality of some of the author’s arguments. She implies that feminism is to blame for low birth rates. Not only do I disagree, the argument that women entering the workforce is a problem for birth rates ignores the real culprit, which is capitalism, and the assertion in our culture that care work is not economically valuable while making money outside the home is. In addition, the fact that she has eight children yet works as a successful academic while making this argument strikes me as hypocritical.

Also, it bothers me that all the religious women profiled are Christian and Jewish-- there are zero Muslim women discussed. It is a glaring omission, and speaks to the white-centric nature of the research.

There are plenty more ideological points on which I disagree with the author (such as her argument for less separation between church and state)-- but that's to be expected. Overall, I haven't read such a provocative book in a very long time. It helped me immensely to engage with aspects of motherhood I'd only thought about superficially. It was a great addition to the intellectual examination of motherhood I've low-key been on since the births of my children. I definitely would recommend this read to people on either side of the political spectrum.