Motherness is a Tender Memoir of Autism, Identity, and Embracing What Is
Julie M. Green’s Motherness is a beautifully vulnerable memoir that explores the often unspoken layers of parenting, neurodivergence, and the radical acceptance that love demands. Subtitled A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance, this book is a quiet revelation—and an important read for anyone who wants to better understand the lived experience of autism, especially within families.
Green writes with a voice that is raw, poetic, and grounded. As she shares her journey parenting her autistic child, she also begins to unearth long-buried truths about herself—eventually discovering that she, too, is autistic. The dual lens of her child’s experience and her own late diagnosis paints a nuanced, deeply human portrait of how neurodivergence can show up across generations—and how it’s often missed, especially in women.
Why This Book Mattered to Me
At Curating Edits, we love memoirs that make you pause, reflect, and nod in recognition. Motherness does just that. It doesn’t try to generalize the autistic experience—rather, it highlights that there is no one-size-fits-all narrative when it comes to autism.
This book is for the parent navigating diagnosis, for the adult beginning to see themselves more clearly, and for the reader who believes that stories have the power to expand empathy.
What makes Motherness shine is its gentle honesty. It’s not wrapped in easy answers, but rather in commitment to show up—with grace and with growth. Green’s journey is personal, but her message is universal: understanding begins at home, and love is never conditional.
Embracing Every Part of the Journey
Motherness is a poignant, courageous memoir that highlights the beauty of embracing who we are and who our children are, fully. Whether you are new to the topic of autism or familiar with the neurodiverse landscape, this book will move you, challenge you, and leave you with a deeper understanding of what it means to parent—and to be—a work in progress.
Want to read Motherness for yourself?
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Thank you to Netgalley for providing Curating Edits with an ARC copy of Motherness.
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