Erleichterung, Wahnsinn, Wahnsinn, Erleichterung... Claire Kilroy hat das aufgeschrieben, was Andere sich wahrscheinlich noch nicht mal trauen zu denken. Menschlich nah, tw bitterböse und sehr sehr nachvollziehbar! "Sie uns doch an, wie wir unsere Babys hüten. Unsere brüllenden und hungrigen und ruhelosen Babys. Unsere Ziegen und Zelte und Habseligkeiten. Erbärmlich, unbarmherzig, unentrinnbar menschlich. Das wurde schon immer so gemacht und würde auch immer so bleiben. Aber musste es so schwer sein?"

what a rollercoaster of emotions. reading this book felt like being buried alive, not getting air, not being able to breathe, left alone, struggling, crying but nobody sees it. it‘s a book about soldier being a mom and unironically living the soldier life. she‘s in the trenches with her newborn, all by herself, because her useless, rude husband is not any help at all - actually he makes it all so much worse. it highlights the struggles of motherhood in a patriarchal society in such a brutal and honest way, that it felt like a nightmare. kilroy writes the book also in a dreamstate way, you never know what‘s really happening and what‘s just imagination or her worst-case-scenario in her head. this makes it all so blurry and so much more nightmare-y which highlights the hardship of motherhood even better. she is sleep deprived, lonely, feels guilt and sadness and anger, is overwhelmed and so in love with her child, fears for him, cares for him, would die for him. all while her husband screams at her for waking him up when he has such a huge day tomorrow, while soldier only has little days. kilroy perfectly lets you feel the hormonal-love-&-fear-driven state of being a new mom. giving your life up, your body up, even your marriage up for a baby while your husband lives his life uninterrupted, with his same body, in the same job, being able to sleep and expecting a warm meal for dinner when he comes home. it‘s honestly wild- reality, not the book! the fact that women have to accept all of this unfairness and nobody bats an eye. it‘s an honest book, showing situations all of us have heard from 0815 couples - and that alone is batshit insane. @Lina is so right when she says how this book could drive mothers absolutely mad, when they recognize their own life and the unfair patriarchal struggles they have to put up with. that‘s exactly the point. READ IT AND RAGE!!! RIOT!!!! SCREAM!!! AAAHHHHH!!! so, it‘s exactly what i want in a book. it‘s the highlight of my year, a book i wish i‘d have written, a book that will haunt me for the rest of my life and makes me question really hard 1. if i want children and 2. with whom because that man alone made me soooo angry, that i screamed in my room every few pages. you really don‘t need enemies with such a husband. but whats new. HIGHLY recommend. EVERYONE needs to read this. mandatory reading - especially for every husband/father. i will read everything kilroy writes now- irish authors have never disappointed me so far; they are just a different writing breed. also: in her acknowledgementspage she writes about two mothers she knew well who lost their life and one child as well. this makes the book even more heartfelt, important and scandalous.