Why are American mothers mad while French mothers have fun?
Every once in a while, you’ll find a book that really stands out from the rest. No, it isn’t the latest Harry Potter bestseller. This book entitled, Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety, is about the musings of a newspaper columnist who finds a striking difference between the lives of French and American mothers. The book was written by Judith Warner, a syndicated columnist and radio show host who has spent time living in Paris and Washington, D.C. She is also the author of other non-fiction works like You Have the Power and a biography of former First Lady and now Senator Hillary Clinton.
As a mother of two, the author authoritatively narrates the travails of American mothers who are somehow plagued by guilt, self-doubt, and frustration about being a parent. She writes that most American mothers face the daily challenge of having to succeed at the office while being a model parent, and not to mention, a good wife at home. Her book also cites the growing anxiety among career women who have children since these working mothers have little time to spend at home with...