I so wanted to read this as a mother of three boys but unfortunately I could not download it timely.. Giving book 3 stars based on concept and other reviews.

This was written for me. It's written in memoir format rather than a "here's the ten steps to meet this goal!" format, and the former appeals to me way more. I'm a mom of sons so I needed this book. This was written with so much compassion and wisdom, and I honestly think it should be required reading for all parents.

Informative, interesting and useful. A lot of good information to think about and consider. Beautifully written!

This was a fantastic memoir on what it was like for Jha to raise a boy in a patriarchal world. As a single mother who had her own share of growing up embedded in misogyny this book highlights her growth, trials, and thought experiments that allowed her to unlearn her own internalized misogyny as well as set her son on a path to allyship as a feminist.

As someone who also lives in Seattle I also appreciated all of the references to places I hold near and dear :)

One critique I have (that I didn’t factor in to my rating at all) was in some of the recommended resources she included at the back of the book. Written in 2021 she didn’t take into account nor comment on some of the controversies surrounding the content that was public knowledge at the time of publication. The resources are still valuable in furthering feminist conversations with children, however I thought a few of them should have come with disclaimers. One example: recommending the live action version of Mulan without including information about the Uighurs who are facing concentration camps and a near genocide in the region in which it was filmed.

I just finished this book last night and I WAS so moved by the whole thing. I have a teenage daughter and a three year old son. Trying to find a balance between raising them in a feminist world felt overwhelming. I was learning to navigate a world where I want my daughter to feel empowered and safe. When the mini sir came along I found I was needing him to feel the same AS WELL as understanding consent, body autonomy, and his place in a society that will always elevate his voice just for being born a white boy. This book helped me look at a lot of the different issues I've been working through and trying to unlearn, re learn, and discover. I want my son to feel comfortable in his body, his gender, his sexuality, his place in the world... and also do the work to tear down the systems that oppress others. It was a lovely book that delves into colorism, racism, patriarchy, misogyny, sexism, homophobia, etc and how Sonora navigated that world with her son.

I devoured this and can honestly say it changed my parenting for the better. I loved it and will be putting it out on display at every opportunity.

There are many books that explore the topic of raising feminist sons, and among them, I enjoyed this one the most. Sonora Jha manages to write a book that encompasses memoir, feminism, parenting, social justice, and so much more. There are reflection questions and actions at the end of each chapter, but none of this comes across as a how-to in a basic sense. She is clear on the complexities that are involved at every turn, and the influences that are often out of our control. By including perspectives and experiences around her own upbringing and culture of origin, she sets an example for how we all can reflect on our own to help inform how we want to raise our children. Throughout the book, it is obvious how much she adores her son, and I assume she received his consent for every bit that directly includes him. As a follow-up, it would be interesting to read about his perspective and what he felt most helped him develop into the young man that he is today and (if he decides to become a parent himself), what he will keep from his upbringing to pass onto his child(ren).

If you're like me, you may be a bit anxious about raising a boy in modern society. With the #metoo movement, rape culture, and more, what does it take to raise a boy into a good man? How does one parent a child to make him a feminist son? someone who will respect women and others. Sonora Jha offers up her personal experiences raising her (Now adult) son. Jha was a single mom living in the US, having moved from Asia after her marriage ended. Jha considered herself a feminist and was conscious about raising her son as a feminist. In How to Raise a Feminist Son, she shares her personal experiences and offers up some advice. The book is part memoir and part parenting guide.

This is an important read for any parent!! Jha's personal anecdotes are relatable and she admits where she made mistakes. Her advice is also approachable and not overwhelming. The books is clearly well researched as she references lots of other books on the subjects of parenting, feminism, behavior and more. There are chapters on things such as "the sex talk", video games and movie, male role models and building your village. Each chapter is topped off with a To Do list of a handful of items. I also loved that there was a list of suggest books and films at the end of the book, with suggestions for both kids and parents.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE!!

I absolutely fell in love with this book. It was so warm and funny, at times sad, but overall a very lovely account of a feminist mother’s attempts over the years to raise a feminist son. It’s a memoir, a feminist theory book, a how-to-guide at the same time. 10/10 would recommend, even if you (like me) don’t have a son to raise.

Longer review to come on my blog with a friend in the next weeks!

How to Raise a Feminist Son by Sonora Jha should be required reading for everyone. A beautifully written book that is part memoir, part personal guide and an academic study on raising boys.

As Jha says right from the beginning this book will focus on raising cisgender boys, but there is so much intersectional discussion throughout the book. It also isn’t just a book for mother’s. Anyone could benefit from this informative and empathetic look at how boys are raised.

I loved this book. It was so easy and accessible to read. Jha weaves memory and knowledge so masterfully. We look back at Jha life, her work and how she raised her son. A single mother from India raising her son in America. I felt sometimes as if I was sitting in on one of Jha’s classes or a fly in the wall watching her life unfold. I love the influence of film in Jha’s life. There is an in depth look at social media, media, racism and so much more. The book is filled with interviews and references. I loved at the end there are lists of films and shows to watch with your boys. And of course books to read! There are actionable to-do’s at the end of each chapter.

There is so much to learn within the pages of this book. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to #netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for a review.

#SonoraJha #HowtoRaiseaFeministSon #NetGalley

How To Raise a Feminist is a beautiful love letter to the author’s son, and a journey through navigating a non-feminist world while raising him.

Sonora Jha was born in India, a country that has a prevalent rape culture and expect women to have babies and take care of the family. When Sonora is pregnant with a boy, she cries - she’s afraid that her son will grow up to be like het abusive father and brother. So she vows to raise him as a feminist, something she continues as she eventually moves to America with him.

Sonora’s journey is a strong one. She survived and goes through so much, while raising her son as a single mother, and stíll wondering with every step she takes wether or not she is raising him right. Most mothers would focus on survival at that point, but Sonora is surviving ánd raising her son as feminist as she can.

Every chapter has a to do list at the end, with things you can do to raise your children feminist. Talk with them about certain things, watch the things they’re watching (together!), ask them questions, that sort of thing.

As a mother of a two year old boy, the title of this book immediately caught my eye. I’m worried about the world my kid is growing up in, and I definitely want him to be a feminist. The to do lists in this book will help me with that, and Sonora’s journey reminds me that you can always try to raise your kid right, despite the circumstances.

I would highly recommend How To Raise a Feminist to any young parent, and I’m glad I got to meet Sonora and Gibran in this book.

I was able to read an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! As someone who is striving to raise kids who understand consent and systemic issues of gender and race, this is an amazing resource. The author writes in a way that is enjoyable and relatable to read and gives great examples of ways she has handled certain situations with her son, but also acknowledges mistakes she has made and things she has learned. My children are still very young and I appreciate the author pointing out things she wished she had done when he son was younger.

Some of the best things about this book are the To Do lists of action steps at the end of each chapter and the extensive lists of resources to help your children learn about feminism and other social justice issues at the end of the book. Highly recommend for parents trying to raise their kids to be better humans.

HOW TO RAISE A FEMINIST SON is part memoir, part manifesto that provides insight, research, and practical advice on resisting patriarchal parenting. Sonora Jha uses her lived experiences growing up in Mumbai and later living as a single mother in America to frame the necessity of raising feminist sons. From navigating conversations around sex and consent to power dynamics and social media, Jha offers helpful tips and resources to help parents. Each chapter ends with a list of actionable items for practice/reflection.

This book couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. As a millennial mother of a young son, many of my discussions with my friends center the idea of raising feminist and socially conscious children. This intentional way of child rearing is a form of active resistance against patriarchy, misogyny/misogynoir, racism, capitalism, homophobia, transphobia, and every other oppressive societal norm upon which empire sits.

I particularly appreciated learning more about Jha’s culture, especially the gods and goddesses from which she’s drawn motivation on her parenting journey. It was especially moving reading how Black Lives Matter impacted Jha’s perspective on race and anti-Blackness in America, that such racial realities play a significant role in the way Black and brown folks must navigate parenting our children. Jha gives hope of a better future for us all.

This is the book for you, if you love:
~ Feminist film, TV, and books
~ #OwnVoices narratives
~ Practical advice
~ Thoughtful journal reflections

Whether you read this alone or grab a few of your parent friends to join... this book should find a spot on your shelf.

Special thanks to Sasquatch Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very well written book that speaks to complex ideas and experiences of feminism. The author recounts her experience as a single mother trying to raise her son to embody feminist ideals through film and conversation. She explores her own views on feminism and the cultural expectations as a feminist woman in a conservative Indian society. Enjoyed it.

A good beginning to teach our society some feminism .

It is the need of hour and also our duty to atleast raise a human who is feminist .I don't mean that we don't have some right now but we definitely need more.

Whole review to come once book is published.

This was a really interesting read - part memoir, and part investigation of toxic masculinity and how to avoid it. The author has had a very interesting life, filled with difficulties and triumphs, and she comes across as a strong and capable woman. While I found the parts of the book that discussed her life fascinating, I did think that at times the parts where she spoke about her son tended to be a little bit preachy; though she states several times that she knows he is not perfect, something about the constant praise for his behaviour towards women (which, as she herself points out, is only really basic decency) felt a little bit overblown and painted him as a saint. It reminded me a little of when people tweet supposedly deep things that their small children have said - it made me want to take everything she said about him with a hefty pinch of salt.

That being said, this has some great practical advice on how to actively dismantle sexism in your own behaviour so you can model it for a son of all ages; it expanded on a lot of thoughts I'd vaguely had, and the to do list at the end of each chapter is a great idea. It would be good as an introduction to feminist parenting for someone who had never thought about the issue before, but it's also nice as a sort of aide-memoire, to have so many different aspects all tallied up in one place. I'm definitely going to recommend my husband read this, and will also pass the recommendation on to friends with boys. We have a lot of work to do to make sure our sons are more feminist men than our peers.