
After the Storm: Postnatal Depression and the Utter Weirdness of New Motherhood (Hardback)
Emma Jane Unsworth (author)Published: 06/05/2021

Unflinching and candid, the acclaimed novelist recounts her experience of post-natal depression and recovery with dark wit and great courage in this relatable, urgent critique of modern motherhood.
How did it come to this? I am tough, I am smart, I have lived alone. Now I am cracking, right down the middle...
Six months after the birth of her son, Emma Jane Unsworth finds herself in the eye of a storm. Nothing - from pregnancy to birth and beyond - has gone as she expected. A birth plan? It might as well have been a rough draft!
Furious and exhausted, her life is the complete opposite of what it used to be. She's swapped all night benders for grazed labia and Whac-a-Moling haemorrhoids. How did she end up here?
In this brave and hilarious account of postnatal depression, Emma tells her story of despair and recovery. She tackles the biggest taboos around motherhood and mental health, from botched stitches and bleeding nipples to anger and shame. How does pregnancy adapt our brains? Is postnatal depression a natural reaction to the trauma of modern motherhood? And are people's attitudes finally changing?
Dazzling and vital, After the Storm is a celebration of survival, holding out a hand to women everywhere.
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781788166546
Number of pages: 160
Weight: 281 g
Dimensions: 204 x 138 x 20 mm
Edition: Main
MEDIA REVIEWS
'A beautifully-written, raw - and totally relatable - account of new motherhood that had me laughing and crying in equal measures. Emma Jane Unsworth is the real deal' - Christie Watson
'An excellent book. Truth and power and lots of LOLs too. I loved it. Emma Jane Unsworth is a wonder' - Amy Liptrot
'This is a brave and important work. Unsworth is unflinchingly honest about her experiences, and her beautiful, hilarious, clever writing elevates her story into something universal ... I loved this book' - Clover Stroud
'This book is truly brilliant. Packed with intense bursts of knowledge, understanding and humour. Unsworth's style is so direct and approachable, this book is the best company for anyone going through the loneliness and isolation of new motherhood. This book will make new mums feel accompanied, which is the most sacred thing.' - Jenn Ashworth
'A breath-takingly brave and honest memoir of motherhood's darkest moments, by turns hilarious, heart-breaking and wise. After The Storm should be required reading for birthing people and their partners, and for those who support and care for them' - Leah Hazard
'Funny, gruelling, wonderful. I felt as though I were with her every step of the way. I loved it' - Claudia Hammond
'A brilliant, deeply personal and honest book from a writer who is an expert at being humane, funny and vulnerable' - Nikesh Shukla
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