By Tania Elfersy and Andrea Katzman

Flower Cap Press. 2012.

Reviewed by Amy Avgar

Motherhood is perhaps the most difficult on-the-job training women may ever undergo in their lifetimes.   It can be a rewarding, but also a very lonely and frustrating job. 

Motherhood requires a redefinition of who we are that is radically different from everything we were before; a reinvention of self-identity, a perfection of new skills and, above all, a major restructuring of personal life.  Yet, during the early years of childrearing, women are far more concerned with child development and what has been written on that subject than they are with their own development in the context of their newly acquired role.  In fact, self-sacrifice and the putting aside of one’s own needs seems inherent to the very definition of a “good mother.” 

In Purple Leaves, Red Cherries, Tania Elfersy and Andrea Katzman present the voices of mothers as a basis for reflecting on the journey through motherhood and for gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of our own experiences.  They provide inspiration for a creative approach to mothering, practical advice and plenty of room for readers to record their own thoughts on the subject.  Most of all, the authors offer support for expressing and sharing the emotional ups and downs of the “job”.   As one mother of two young children writes, “How long does it take being a mom?  When is my shift over?”  Mallory, mother of one writes, “Motherhood is often quiet, sometimes boring and frequently seen as unproductive.  Yet it is the most valuable gift I offer my child.”

Many of the voices in this unique book express ambivalence and conflict between who women were and who they have become, between the world outside and the world inside, between old dreams and new.  They give expression to the fact that mothers are also daughters, wives and workers.  Whether you are a new mom or the mother of a new mom, you will certainly find inspiration and resources in this moving collection of writings. 

Purple Leaves, Red Cherries is the winner of four prestigious book awards:  2012 Winner, Two Indie Excellence Book Awards (Gift and Non-Fiction Book Interior Design);  2012 Nautilus Silver Award Gift/Specialty);  2012 Silver Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (Gift/Specialty/Journal)

Purple Leaves, Red Cherries is available from the publishers at $ 24.95.

See also: the website: http://purpleleavesredcherries.com  and on Facebook www.facebook.com/PurpleLeavesRedCherries;