Mother Talk Blog Book Tour: Everyday Traditions
This blog post is brought to you by Mother Talk Inc.
Well, I just spent a good chunk of the weekend talking about the commercialization of the blogosphere. And yet, here I am, part of a book blog tour to publicize a book I received free and for which I am receiving a cash honorarium. How can this be?
Well, once upon a time, I believed that the world of publishing was a meritocracy. And that the good books would float to the top. But since then, I have learned that much like in the blog world, the creme does not necessarily float to the top. There are many many wonderful books about mothering that simply will not have their moment in the sun because they are not cool enough, hot enough, sexy enough, controversial enough or written by an A-list celebrity. They will be published by smaller presses that do not have monsterous marketing budgets to pay book retailers to host author signings or feature their books in those coveted highly visible spots near the cash register (you thought the retailers did this out of the kindness of their hearts - ha! I suppose you still think that Amazon.com reviews are simply nice little things penned by agendaless readers). And yet it is these books -- powerful memoirs about mothering, non-judgemental books about parenting, books about making life's moments more beautiful -- that have resonated with me more than, say, The Da Vinci Code ever will. Mother Talk, the brainchild of Andi Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz, aims to connect the authors of these books with potential readers. And after careful consideration, I have decided that I really like what Mother Talk Inc. is doing (including having Inc. in the name since it adds to the transparency of their business) and am happy to participate in their blog tour. While some of the books are not ones I would have picked out on my own, any book I feature is one that appeals to me on some level; you will not find a review of "Everyone Should Breastfeed, or Else!" or "10 Reasons Why I'm a Better Mom than You Are."
Today, I'm featuring Nava Atlas's Everyday Traditions: Simple Family Rituals for Connection and Comfort. Although this is not something that might seem obvious, I am actually a huge fan of books like this - ideas for living a simpler, calmer, richer and more peaceful life. I am naturally very high strung and tightly wound. And my daughter, now almost three, is similar in her intense approach to life. I consciously try to build ritual and routine into our lives to keep all of us centred. I would not naturally have gravitated toward Nava Atlas's book as she is a renowned vegetarian cookbook author, and as I am neither a vegetarian nor much of a cook, I might have assumed that Atlas's idea of the importance of ritual might not have dovetailed with mine.
This book, however, is warm, inviting and inclusive. While Atlas writes about the importance of a mealtime ritual, for example, she is realistic that families are busy and that perhaps, a weekend breakfast might be more realistic for some than dinner together every night. She writes about steps families can take to transform everyday routine -- say bathtime or storytime -- into something special. Atlas is an avid reader and writes extensively about how to transform reading into a shared family experience. She writes about things families can do to celebrate each season and how to make holidays simpler, less stressful and less commercial, something that I will try to keep in mind as the busy "festive season" approaches. Atlas has also included a section for readers to record their own family traditions and rituals.
The book is true in its definition of "simple". Simple living is one of those terms which has sadly been co-opted by marketers knowing that we crave peace in these busy and chaotic times. So they sell us the Martha Stewart version which usually involves 123 hazelnuts, four yards of florist wire and a dremel drill, or the Real Simple version which involves a $20,000 closet makeover. Most of Atlas's suggestions require neither time nor money. They simply require one to be conscious of being in the moment and to focus on what is important to you and your family.
And while the book is written with mothers in mind, it is not one of those books that praises high intensity mothering. In fact, many of the suggestions are ways to make a mother's life better and things like taking time to form a book club, and making the time for reading and reflection are highlighted.
The only thing I did not like about the book were the illustrations. Atlas is a gifted artist and her simple drawings are beautiful (she would make a marvellous children's book illustrator). I respond better to photographs, however, which is one of the reasons I can spend hours reading home design and lifestyle magazines in spite of their inferior content.
I find it useful to have books like this scattered throughout my home to remind me how to live more fully and joyfully. In those few stolen moments between school pickups and dropoffs and other various activities, I look forward to putting my feet up, pouring myself a cup of decaf and revisiting this book.
