I'm happy to announce that my book, The Female Assumption, is now for sale at Amazon.com. I would like to take a moment to explain the choice of the subtitle, A Mother's Story: Freeing Women from the View that Motherhood is a Mandate. First of all, I'm a mom and I've lived much of what I write about. Many of the women I interviewed spoke of feeling boxed-in by the expectations of those around them. Some who didn't want motherhood spoke of confusion or depression until a parent gave them "permission" (their word) to be who they're meant to be. Permission implies a mandate. For women who didn't find the right situation or were unable to have children, they spoke of a world that continues to view them through the motherhood lens, sometimes judging or pitying them, sometimes finding them lacking. Women are whole beings. Period. It's a simple concept, and yet many women speak of intrusive or judgmental comments from loved ones; sometimes these comments come from total strangers.

I'm grateful for the endorsements of some VIWs (Very Important Women)--and men--who believe in my thesis and helped me along the way. If you'll visit my Author's Facebook Fan Page, you'll see some of those endorsements. I will be more active on my FB Page than on this Blog, so if you care about my thesis or my mission, you may wish to "Follow" me there. Or email me, I welcome feedback.

FB Fan Page URL https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Holmes/467706716674112

Link to Amazon where my book is now on sale: http://www.amazon.com/The-Female-Assumption-Mothers-Motherhood/dp/1500933058/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412949682&sr=8-1&keywords=the+female+assumption

Melanie Holmes