The Other Mother, Jen Brister
The Other Mother, Jen Brister
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The Other Mother
A wickedly honest parenting tale for every kind of family

Author: Jen Brister

Narrator: Jen Brister

Unabridged: 5 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/05/2019

Synopsis

Brought to you by Penguin.

'Hysterical, important, moving, wonderful' Sara Pascoe

I'm Jen Brister, stand-up comedian, middle-aged adolescent and, more recently, a mum. But not that mum – I'm the other one. Confused? Let’s back up a bit. Two years ago, my partner (a woman – we're not solicitors) gave birth to twins. Yes. Yes. Already there’s a lot to take in here: gay mums, twins, solicitors… (I know! Believe me, I’m still reeling myself.)

Like every new parent, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Add ‘gay’ and ‘non-biological’ to the mix and what do you get? Not a weird box of detergent, but a panicked beige lesbian desperately googling, ‘Will my babies love me?’ at 3 a.m.

This is a book for any parent who feels they don’t fit the mould of a traditional 2.4 family. Stand-up comedian Jen Brister takes a very funny, very honest look at life as a parent: from IVF awfulness to crying over the pages of sleep training manuals. As ‘the other mother’ she has the perfect vantage point for us to laugh and cry alongside her.

(c) 2019, Jen Brister (P) 2019 Penguin Audio

Reviews

Goodreads review by Tuxedocat on December 08, 2020

I was expecting a lot more content about being the non birth mother but unfortunately (as other reviewers have rightly said) it was more about the highs and lows of parenting. For a soon to be non birth mum myself and with no where else to look for resources this was somewhat a disappointment.......more

Goodreads review by Charmaine on July 11, 2021

As others have commented this book is more about general parenting experience and less about life as the other mother. I probably wouldn’t have read it if I realised that before half way through......more

Goodreads review by Charvi on October 06, 2023

Absolutely adorable and laugh out loud funny! Completely disagree with other reviewers who thought it needed more content on the experience of being a non biological mother. I really feel that a large part of being a non biological mother is just being a mother. Because at the end of the day, motherh......more

Goodreads review by Rachel on April 03, 2020

I'm very generously giving this three stars. I really liked how the book started. It got boring and repetitive in the middle. I feel like it was less "the other mother" and more "this is parenting."......more

Goodreads review by Dabarai on November 06, 2019

I first saw Jen Brister performing stand up in the Vauxhall Tavern in the summer, where she mentioned her book first. I loved her style, loved her jokes (especially those about family) so I thought I would read the book. Although Jen Brister's perspective on motherhood is different from mine, I tota......more

Quotes

I love Jen Brister. She is a like mind and damned funny. You’ll find the pages of this book brimming with rich and wonderful proof of all of this ... and more Hannah Gadsby

Jen is one of the funniest comedians I’ve ever seen and her book is predictably hysterical. It’s also moving, important and wonderful Sara Pascoe

Jen Brister is bloody funny both on stage and in this brilliant book Sarah Millican

Fresh, heartwarming and very, very wise. The funniest and most refreshingly honest account of being a parent that I've ever read Frankie Boyle

The Other Mother, is a side-splittingly honest look at the grim realities of same-sex parenting Diva

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