Is this the last book I ever read whilst living in England? Nobody Told Me by Hollie McNish
Nobody Told Me – the blurb
There were many things that Hollie McNish didn’t know before she was pregnant. How her family and friends would react; that Mr Whippy would be off the menu; how quickly ice can melt on a stomach. These were on top of the many other things she didn’t know about babies: how to stand while holding one; how to do a poetry gig with your baby as a member of the audience; how drum’n’bass can make a great lullaby. And that’s before you even start on toddlers.
But Hollie learned.
And she’s still learning, slowly. Nobody Told Me is a collection of poems and stories; Hollie’s thoughts on raising a child in modern Britain, of trying to become a parent in modern Britain, of sex, commercialism, feeding, gender and of finding secret places to scream once in a while.
Ah those toilet cubicle feeds
With my youngest child 6 going on 16 the days of morning sickness, contractions and 2am feeds are (thankfully) a distant, slightly rose tinted memory. Nobody Told Me took me straight back to that time. I was filled with empathy as Hollie discovered you actually give birth twice (to baby AND placenta) and wanted to hold her hand, or at least pass her a drink, in those dark early days.
I’ve read and loved The Unmumsy Mum and where as both books are based on a first time mum’s experience Hollie’s takes a more serious tone – why pink? why married? why sodding toilet cubicle breast feeds?
On top of this there is of course the poetry which is why after watching her Embarrassed video on You Tube I picked up the book. She is the first ‘modern’ poet I’ve really got into and I love reading about current issues told in verse. I’m not sure which poem is my favorite in the book but there is a bit of everything from Glastonbury to Grandads. I can understand why it might not appeal to non parents but as a mom of 3 girls I loved it. And as a last book for reading whilst living in England I could have chosen far worse.
