Priya Joi

Motherland

Motherland

What I’ve Learnt about Parenthood, Race and Identity

Summary

What does it mean to be a parent in a space where you are the minority?

M(other)land is a powerful memoir by Priya Joi exploring how her personal and cultural identity intersect with motherhood -- and how they inform her identity as a (British-Indian) parent and step-parent. Her powerful, witty memoir responds to the absence of an inclusive, accessible blueprint for navigating life as a multi-faceted mother. By sharing her own deeply personal story and lived experiences, she writes into this silence and provides a voice of compassion and understanding for all those who fall outside of dominant presentations of 'parenthood' and have never seen themselves or their experiences represented.

M(other)land is a crucial memoir for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of race and motherhood, who has ever felt 'other', who has struggled to reconcile their past or cultural upbringing with how they raise the next generation. Joi passes on hard-won knowledge that has taken years to learn: the complexity of your identity is just who you are - it's okay to be both, neither, or multiple things at once - instead of fighting it, feeling 'neither' is a strength and a state of mind that you can revel in.