Mothers, Fathers, and Others collects 20 visionary and vulnerable essays by the critically acclaimed writer Siri Hustvedt (Memories of the Future). Unapologetically feminist and at times self-revelatory, Hustvedt's essays range from the experiences of being and reading in New York during the pandemic ("Notes from New York," "Reading During the Plague") to re-imaginings and re-articulations of the lives of the women in her past ("Tillie," "A Walk with My Mother"). Standout essays include "Mentor Ghosts," Hustvedt's meditation on the variety of mentors she's almost had and the collective desire to seek ever-elusive mentoring relationships, and "Scapegoat," her brutally candid investigation of popular fascination with horrific true-crime cases like that of Sylvia Likens.
With an astounding ability to draw connections and plunge readers headlong into a subject, Hustvedt manages in this collection to cover an incredible scope of topics, often in tight, quick-moving prose. She draws on her longstanding love for and expertise in literature, visual arts and psychoanalysis, and her essays confidently guide readers into enlightening, vital and often uncomfortable topics that underline so many day-to-day experiences. Whether discussing the roots of misogyny or the desire to find parental figures at all stages in life, Hustvedt's essays provide a clear-eyed and patient approach that often feels rare. Such an approach, which thrives on Hustvedt's unexpected humor and seamless storytelling, reminds readers of how vital immersive, slow thinking is in contemporary times. --Alice Martin, freelance writer and editor