Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control

In this astonishing blend of memoir, theory, and cultural criticism, a first-time mother examines the intersection of misogyny and motherhood, considering how caregivers can reclaim their bodies and transmit a language of consent to their children.

Written with the intellectual and emotional precision of writers such as Roxane Gay and Leslie Jamison, and drawing on classic feminist thinkers such as Bell Hooks, Silvia Federici, and Adrienne Rich, as well as popular culture from The Bachelor to Look Who’s Talking, Montei connects caregiving, consent, reproductive control, and the sacrifices women are expected to make throughout their lives. Exploring the stories we tell about psychology, childbirth, sexuality, family, the overwhelm felt by mothers trying to be “good,” and the tender bonds formed between parent and child, Touched Out offers a powerful critique of American rape culture and its continuation in the institution of motherhood—and considers what it truly means to care in America.

ISBN: 9780807013274