Wonder Women: Navigating the Challenges of Motherhood, Career and Identity – Book Review

As part of the BookLook blogger review program, I was sent the book Wonder Women: Navigating the Challenges of Motherhood, Career and Identity by Kate Harris.

I was drawn to the book because I am one of the starry eyed suckers who has bought into the whole “Wonder Woman Mom” syndrome. Right now, while my baby girl is tiny, I am able to blog frequently, post Pinterest worthy recipes and projects and pursue fun side hobbies like reading, cosplay and photography. I am feeling like the elusive and fabled Wonder Woman Mom that everyone claims is an unachievable myth.

And the thing is.. I just know it’s a matter of time before Tessa starts walking and getting into things, and soon we’ll have baby #2, and then my Wonder Woman high will be brought down to reality. I thought perhaps this book would be a useful guide to living in the real world and preparing myself to manage life and it’s various roles without feeling like I’ve somehow failed as a mother.

From the book description on Amazon:

YOU DON’T NEED TO ‘HAVE IT ALL.’ Really, You Don’t. Wonder Women is for every woman trying to maintain the perfect everything … and still falling short. Having it all. Finding balance. Leaning in … and trying to make sure there are clean clothes in the closet and groceries in the fridge. The cultural conversations occurring today engage the very real struggle of women trying to find their way between the questions of career, identity, motherhood, and more. But sometimes ‘you can do anything you want’ feels less like empowerment and more like pressure to do everything—and to do it all ‘right.’ Maybe it’s time to start asking new questions. Maybe it’s time to change the conversation altogether.

Wonder Women is a small book, roughly the size of an electronics information booklet you would find in the box of a new camera or TV. I was slightly disappointed to see how TINY the book was, because the title and topic of the book is one that I am deeply interested in. But the nature of the Frames Series by Barna Group is specifically intended to be small “bite sized” books, packed with infographics, quotes and information in easily digestible portions for those who crave reading, but without the time to devote to it.

I brought ‘Wonder Women” with me on a day of doctor’s visits. It slipped easily into the pocket of my baby carrier, and was easy to pull out and put away throughout the day. However, I read through the book at a leisurely pace in about the time it would take to listen to a slightly longer than average church sermon. For a bookworm like myself, that was slightly disappointing. Not to mention, I ran out of book before my errand running day was over!

The Barna Group Frames series really is clever for what it is. If you are genuinely having trouble finding time to read, this is an amazing book series to invest in. However, for my current reading style, this was too “surface skimming” and too brief of a read for me.

Also, I was rather hoping that the “Wonder Women” theme would be more thoroughly addressed, since that is a trap that many women (myself included) fall into.. the “do it all and do it wonderfully” mindset. While the book goes over the concept generally, it doesn’t address that particular “Wonder Women” social role specifically throughout the book. Instead “Wonder Women” just seems to be a catchy title more than a focal point of the book.

However, I WILL say, that the infographic style – pie charts, statistics and quick social snapshots – are an amazing way to pack a ton of information into a tiny little book. The information is illustrated in such a way that you can easily identify with the majority of Christian women in America, and then follow along with the helpful and enlightening tips to find balance and joy in the realms of motherhood, career and personal identity.

[Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this review. I am an independent product reviewer. I only review products I am truly interested in. I don’t accept payment for reviews. The products I take the time to jabber on about are either items I have personally purchased, or the product has been provided for review after me incessantly nagging for a sample. All of my reviews are unbiased regardless of how the item was obtained.]

If you are a busy mom and find that you often don’t have time to read, but long to edify yourself with a good self-improvement book, this would be a good one to invest in.