British author Helen Jukes joins us to talk about motherhood in the animal kingdom, and what human mothers can learn from mothers from other species. What is “natural” about motherhood, what is the true nature of motherhood across species? What can we learn by allowing ourselves to truly see and examine the many roles of the mother in nature? At one poetic and rigorous, Helen Jukes’ beautiful new book, Mother / Animal, is an illuminating exploration of her own matrescence through the lens of motherhood in the animal world.

Note: Helen’s book is not available in the U.S. yet, so Blackwell’s (a UK based bookseller) has made some signed copies of Mother / Animal by Helen Jukes available to our listeners via this link.

LINKS:

* Buy Mother/Animal

* Follow Helen Jukes on Instagram

* How To Catch A Mole by Marc Hamer

* The Quickening by Elizabeth Rush

* Revolutionary Mothering

* Anne Helen Peterson essay on What Makes Women Clean

* Amanda Hess on Mother of it All

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* Visit our Bookshop storefront to find all the books we’ve mentioned here and in previous episodes. When you shop there, we get a small affiliate fee (yay, thank you!).

* Visit motherofitall.com to send us ideas for a future episode or learn more about the show.

* Follow the podcast on Instagram (@themotherofitall) or Bluesky (@motherofitallpod.bsky.social)

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The Quickening

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