LUCY JONES was born in Cambridge, England, and educated
at
University College London. She has written on culture, science and
nature. Her articles have been published on BBC Earth and in The
Sunday Times, The Guardian and the New Statesman. Her first book,
Foxes Unearthed, received the Society of Authors’ Roger Deakin
Award. Jones lives in Hampshire, England.
Longlisted for Women's Prize for Non-Fiction
“Wide-ranging and hugely ambitious…Marshalling memoir, science,
sociology, and history, Jones argues that, outside of adolescence,
there is no transformation as dramatic in a human’s life [as
motherhood], in both its emotional and biological impacts.”
—The New Yorker
“The book I wish I’d had [when I had my first child]…A tenderly
woven, comprehensive explanation of what happens to us when we
grow, birth and care for a baby…[Jones] meticulously builds to an
irrefutable conclusion: Becoming a mother changes us in ways that
are external, internal, and lasting, and it is ‘likely the most
drastic endocrine event in human life.’”
—The Cut
"Insightful and honest."
—Choice
“In this maddening journey of motherhood, I encourage everyone to
let Matrescence be your soothing guide. From my early days of
motherhood to a few years deep in the trenches, Lucy’s words and
wisdom continues to guide and comfort me. Matrescence is the sister
I never had but always longed for as I try to figure out how to
mother in this world. It’s a fierce book, equally tender as it
is sharp. It is my kind of bible that I will carry with me (and
gift to others!) for a long time.”
—Szilvia Molnar, author of The Nursery
“Sweeping and courageous.” —Tom Mustill, biologist, filmmaker,
author of How to Speak Whale
"A deep dive into the radical transformation of becoming a
mother...An intimate, insightful memoir."
—Kirkus
“Jones puts her finger squarely on the shame and embarrassment many
mothers feel when they don't know what the right thing is for their
baby…Finally, we have someone who tells the truth about motherhood.
We have needed a Lucy Jones for a long time.”
—Psychology Today
“The best book I’ve ever read about motherhood. Myths are . . .
smashed from page one, which makes this a thrilling read.
Matrescence is essential reading, bloody and alive, roaring and
ready to change conversations.” —Jude Rogers, The Observer (UK)
“To read this book – and I very much hope its audience is not
confined to women who are about to or have recently given birth –
is to emerge chastened and ready for change. Anger is not an
emotion we expect from mothers. But, as Jones says, good anger is
necessary. Let us hold to that.” —Marianne Levy, I News (UK)
“I loved this book. It’s a questioning, intelligent investigation
into the process of becoming a mother, sparked by Jones’ own life
but looked at from all angles: environmental, social, historical,
neurobiological, psychoanalytical, and more. She suggests that
portrayals of motherhood as either rose-tinted bliss or boring
drudgery means we fail to prepare women for its reality—and we also
fail to allow for its wilder, radical possibilities.
Revelatory.”
—Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre
“A beautiful contemplation of the extraordinary yet ordinary
metamorphosis that adult humans undergo as they become mothers. I
was entranced . . . a passionate and powerful maternal roar for
change. Wonderful.” —Gaia Vince, award-winning journalist; author
of Adventures in the Anthropocene
“Excellent on the difference between historical views of motherhood
and actual experience. In fact, Jones seems to come as close as
it’s possible to describing this indescribable moment in a woman’s
life.” —Joanna Pocock, The Spectator (UK)
“A scientific and poetic ode to motherhood…Raw and real…Her lyrical
prose is celebratory while acknowledging the challenges that can
arise during pregnancy and throughout motherhood…A fascinating and
worthwhile read, this book for mothers is steeped in research that
is both validating and illuminating.”
—Library Journal
“[Jones] charts the monumental impact of having children from every
angle. A boundary-pushing book that is more complex and creative,
transcending even the ‘part-memoir, part-critical analysis’ genre
that has become such a commonplace format for female authors in
recent years. There is much to be gleaned as Jones skillfully
elucidates the monumental shifts [motherhood] brings. The chapter
on the maternal brain is especially fascinating and, more
importantly, validating for those of us who feel society’s
minimising of matrescence flies in the face of our experience of
it. Jones never becomes bogged down in the material, which is quite
an achievement considering its scope. At times, I wanted more.
Jones is a pioneer, and as such has left some ground unexplored.
This book is a beginning, and a fine one at that.” —Rhiannon Lucy
Cosslett, The Guardian
“[A] probing meditation…Jones emphasizes the beauty and
volatility of maternity…Seamlessly weaving personal recollections
with broader social analysis…Elevated by inventive formal
flourishes and searching reflection, this will resonate with
mothers of all stripes.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A beautiful, intelligent book that is as tender and moving as it
is demanding and urgent. An absolutely essential new addition to
the literature of mothering and parenthood.” —Clover Stroud, author
of The Wild Other
“Jones writes beautifully with searing honesty about life-changing
physical and emotional impact of having a child.” —Rachel
Sylvester, The Times (UK)
“The single most powerful, life-changing, heartachingly healing
thing I have been given. Matrescence holds the power to carry us
back to ourselves, to the rituals and community from which we came.
. . Lucy Jones is the person who should have written it. I am so
glad she did. She has given us mammals such a gift, one that will
save lives.” —Kerri ní Dochartaigh, author of Cacophony of Bone
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