Doing It All by Ruby Russell, published by Basic Books/Seal Press, deeply resonated with me, especially as a single mother—a role I did not choose. This book goes beyond simply discussing the difficulties of single parenthood; it highlights how society is not designed to accommodate families like ours, often making us feel like outcasts. This portrayal doesn't reflect the reality of single parenthood in the slightest.

I appreciated how the author weaves in facts, politics, and political theory, presenting them in a direct, no-nonsense way that is so necessary. Some phrases struck a chord with me, such as "carrying the sexual mental load" and "these days, most of us are women who detonated nuclear families we couldn’t tolerate." Other points that resonated include:

"Mothering in a dysfunctional partnership, and redefining my motherhood beyond it, made me rethink deeply held assumptions about love, sex, relationships, family, autonomy, dependence, responsibility, and care."
"We need a post-nuclear family revolution on a societal level," emphasizing the need to bring societal infrastructure to the forefront.
I absolutely loved this book—it made me feel seen and heard. I’ll carry with me this powerful line: "Single-minded isn’t precisely what mothers don’t get to be. Our attention split, our identities kaleidoscoping."

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Basic Books/Seal Press for providing this advanced reader copy. I hope it reaches the audience it deserves.