In The Parenthood Dilemma: Procreation in the Age of Uncertainty, Gina Rushton, a reproductive justice journalist, faces the very personal question of whether or not to become a mother in an age that feels incompatible with parenting. Rushton has long held that she did not want kids of her own, a "sweeping verdict that the world is no place for another child and that I am not supposed to be a parent." But after a diagnosis of endometriosis in her 30s, she became overwhelmed by and obsessed with the question, determined to make a decision before her body made it for her.
The Parenthood Dilemma starts with an emphasis on reproductive rights and justice in the 21st century, before considering the legacy and role of labor (inside of the home, outside of the home, and the mental and emotional variety); the very real threats of climate change; and the role of fertility (and infertility) and inheritance in one's decision to parent. Rushton is asking a question that is likely to resonate with anyone paying attention: "I want to know how people parent without living in permanent denial or perpetual dread." Even drawing on dozens of interviews from diverse voices, reams of research on parenthood and population growth, and countless hours of self-reflection, Rushton doesn't arrive at a clear answer to this existential question. But The Parenthood Dilemma, in its inability (or perhaps refusal) to offer a black-and-white response to a complex, messy inquiry, may actually be an answer in and of itself, inviting insight, reflection, and comfort. --Kerry McHugh