New Novel Explores Meaning of Motherhood from Perspectives of Working Moms and Stay at Home Moms

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 2, 2007 -- The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross (http://www.The-Other-Mother.com) "paints an electrifyingly complex and explosively gripping portrait of contemporary, have-it-all motherhood" says Booklist. This new novel takes both sides of the mommy wars, asking working moms and stay at home moms to look closely at why they identify with one side or the other. Dame Magazine writes "The Other Mother is a dark look into everything that tears us apart and brings us closest together."

There is a sharp divide between working moms versus stay at home moms (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/536/working-women). In a national iVillage survey, 50% of women said that stay at home moms and working moms have a difficult time relating to one another. A recent poll by Parenting magazine finds that the number one topic that makes moms feel most judgmental is working versus staying at home.

Recent book reviews of The Other Mother (http://www.the-other-mother.com/reviews-of-The-Other-Mother.html) describe how the novel speaks to the tension between stay at home and working moms. Publisher's Weekly says that The Other Mother "documents the front lines of the Mommy Wars, but its real strength lies is exposing the complex inner battlefields motherhood can open up." National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12461608) calls The Other Mother "a thoughtful, multi-faceted look at what divides and unites mothers."

Gross' novel leads mothers to explore their own choices about balancing work and family, the joy of motherhood, and feelings of guilt, resentment, and regret. The Mom Blog 5MinutesForMom writes, "Because of the neutral tone and the way this book addresses the issues that all moms face, this would be a great book club selection (http://www.5MinutesForMom.com/2207/5-minutes-for-books-the-other-mother/)." The Other Mother is a featured selection of the Redbook Book Club, and a featured alternate selection of the Book of the Month Club, the Literary Guild Book Club, and the Doubleday Book Club.

In connection with the book, Ms. Gross, an award-winning writing instructor, is offering a free online writing workshop (http://gwendolengross.typepad.com/the_other_motherfor_moms_/). In this interactive forum, mothers write stories inspired by their experiences and choices. Gross says, "I started this writing workshop encourage women to explore the meaning of motherhood through writing, and to share their experiences in hopes of better understanding each other."

The response has been impressive--thousands of people have visited the site, and when women write, they open up about the struggles and joys of parenting. How can we recognize what unites us as moms, friends, and women?

The Other Mother: A Novel is now available from Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307352927/wwwgwendolengrco-1-20) and in bookstores. For more information about the results of the iVillage poll "What Moms are Thinking Now," visit:parenting.ivillage.com/mom/0,,bl4wrjxb,00.html. For more information about the results of the Parenting Magazine survey "Mom Confessions: Mom vs. Mom," visit:www.parenting.com/parenting/article/0,19840,1589511,00.html.

Gwendolen Gross is the author of the novels Field Guide and Getting Out. She graduated from Oberlin College, was selected for the PEN West Emerging Writers Fellowship, and received an MFA in fiction and poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. Ms. Gross has worked as a snake and kinkajou demonstrator, naturalist, opera singer, editor, and mom. She lives in northern New Jersey with her family. The Other Mother is her third novel.

Title: The Other Mother: A Novel

Author: Gwendolen Gross

Publisher: Crown Books

ISBN-10: 0307352927

ISBN-13: 978-0307352927

Literary Fiction; 303 pages; Dimensions: 9-1/4 x 6-1/8 x 1-1/5

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