I finished this book and it was truly an honest and beautiful read. I often enjoy reading about motherhood so I was deeply drawn to this novel when I heard about its release. It addresses motherhood head on, and the author brings a refreshing honesty and wittiness when it comes to the story. That being said, as a writer, I can fully declare that this novel is one for writers. Molnar’s style was a shining beam of hope for myself and many others like me, who aspire to one day write a story so true and uncomfortable yet with such courage.

I went in completely blind on this one...so I had the waves of doubt but also interest...and eventually I kept reading it because there was enough there to keep me going. I don't know that this is a book for everyone - trigger warnings abound! - but I found the meditative writing capturing. The journey to motherhood isn't always over-the-top happy for people and there are various reasons for that. But hormones are a weird thing and they have a wayof complicating our thoughts and feelings. In addition to all of that, Molnar wrote from a female perspective and she really nails some of those thoughts and feelings about being happy a new life is coming, but also reminiscient about the life that will be left behind. In my experience, women give up quite a bit, and Molnar also portrayed that quite well. After the baby is born ("Button"), the protagonist definitely gets thrown into postpartum depression and it's sad to watch her spiral. She gets some help from her husband, but the days feel endless as she has had to give up her job in order to care for her baby. I won't say this book is for everone and I don't see it being very popular, but it hit me at the right time. Now that my kids are 15 and 17, it reminded me of how hard those first few days and weeks really are - especially with the firstborn and you have no idea what parenthood is like. It's a slow novel even though it's only 200 pages, but it gave me so much to contemplate and appreciate about a time that feels so long ago in my own life.

An advanced reader copy of The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar was given to me through Net Galley for an honest review. This review of The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar is strictly my opinion and mine alone.
The Nursery is a peek into motherhood of a newborn child, and honesty. Usually when a woman finds out she is expecting family members, friends, co-workers flutter the mom with all of kinds of attention. There are gifts bestowed on her, people ready to help her out, and laden with all kinds of helpful advice. However, after the birth of the baby, some moms feel as if they are tossed aside, that the health of the baby means more than their own health.
As this new mom tries to come to “terms” of new person in her life, Button (her infant), the vast changes of her body, and the thoughts that are invading her mind, truly make her wonder about herself. The mom no longer feels as if she herself matters, that she is the only life source to keep Button alive, and well. Even after a difficult birth, the new mom struggles to keep herself healthy, trying not to feel disgusted by her own appearance, and guilt ridden by her thoughts. Trying to navigate being a mother, a wife like she was before having Button, and trying to reclaim herself.

Visceral and honest, The Nursery delves into the grittiness of motherhood that is often ignored in the mainstream. The juxtaposition between reading this novel and scrolling through mommy-vloggers on Instagram was certainly something.

I liked this a lot! I thought the translator piece added an interesting touch. I enjoyed the skipping around in time as it added to the sleepless and disorienting feeling. I do wish the narrator felt less distant.

The Nursery by Szilivia Molnar is an honest story about the first few days/weeks postpartum. It’s not the easiest topic to read about but I think it is worth it. The writing is beautiful and heartbreaking. This new mother, a translator of novels has always loved her home. A safe place, where she could spend all day working, by herself. Now home with her new baby, the walls are closing in. She can’t get comfortable in her new role and her mind is racing. Shame fills her days for her thoughts on the new baby. Her husband is very dull but eventually he thinks it is time to move on. But when do you move on? Postpartum Depression is real and there are no time limits. She had to lean on her husband to move forward.. can they do it together? This was a four star read for me. I really liked the authors development of the story and characters. She shows how you can move forward some days and go backwards other days, for no reason at all. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

Beware that this review contain spoilers!

I always appreciate fiction showing the grueling reality of postpartum and the early days of motherhood. This book definitely does that very well in its vivid depictions of how a woman’s body heals right after giving birth and also how depression, anxiety and psychosis can manifest itself differently. Although the author doesn’t confirm it, I’m sure Peter is just a hallucination. Also the symbolisms are powerful, and some are very hard to grasp even (the moss can be interpreted very differently depending on one’s cultural background). All this is possible based on the choice to narrate the story as a non-linear stream of conscience. I believe that worked because postpartum “fog” is repetitive and confusing at best. Another interesting choice is not naming the protagonist and even the daughter, which points out to the erasure of a woman’s identity to just “mother” once she has a child.
Now what didn’t work for me:
- I missed the hope and the the joy of becoming a mother (not talking about romanticizing these feelings though). The story makes it sound like motherhood is just the nightmare of PPD and PPA when in reality the good and the bad are so intricately connected, we can’t separate them during those eternal nights and loopy days.
- The end felt almost bland. Yes, going out was half of the battle for the protagonist, but there’s so, so much more that needs to be addressed for someone with such a deep depression like her. I missed a little more of her recovery and think that would’ve added more “hope” to the overall story.
Or maybe the author did intend to write a hopeless story after all, which then would explain everything.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for gifting me a digital ARC of this novel by Szilvia Molnar - 4.5 stars!

A new mother is at home with her baby, called Button in these pages. Before the baby, she worked as a translator of literature. Now she feels her only purpose is to feed Button. Now she doesn't go outside. Now she wonders how her world got to be this way.

This is a stark, blunt portrait of new motherhood, postpartum depression, and isolation and the slow return to life after giving birth. It's so beautifully written and highlights the wide range of emotions new mothers feel. While this mother was married, her husband's life barely changed, while her life was forever altered. I love that more books are showing more of the reality of giving birth, rather than the Pinterest story. It also is an important societal topic on how best to support new mothers.

Loved this brilliantly claustrophobic tale about a woman struggling with new motherhood. The cover alone is such a powerfully evocative image.

The narrator is suffering from postpartum depression and possibly even psychosis but the author deftly weaves humor into this otherwise very serious tale (“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘬 𝘣𝘢𝘳.”) Before giving birth, the narrator worked as a translator and fantasizes about returning to her old life, and to her old self. And yet she can’t seem to leave the small apartment she shares with her husband.

The fears of I think most new parents are laid bare in this
sharply written story. Who wasn’t afraid to take their newborn home from the hospital? (“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢.𝘮. 𝘐𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘸.”)

While the narrator seems to slowly lose her grip on reality, she describes her postpartum recovery in almost ghastly detail. This book is not for the faint of heart but I found it to be an insightful and very intense glimpse into a darker side of motherhood.

I'm no stranger to the growing genre of postpartum novels, but OOF this one got me good. Molnar's depiction of those first few hazy days of motherhood are gripping and brutal, with the soaring highs and crashing lows of postpartum anxiety (and, frankly, postpartum psychosis), is absolutely searing and impossible to turn away from. The ambient climate anxiety in the background only heightens the feeling of overwhelming helplessness and worry that characterizes the narrator's experience of new motherhood. A difficult but worthwhile read for sure!

I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor Books in exchange for an honest review. This book is currently available. ⭐️⭐️ Have you ever read a book and think, I'm not smart enough for this book? I'm not understanding the point? That was this book for me. It just seemed like the main character was whining the whole time about motherhood. As someone that has 2 children, I didn't need to relive giving birth and the weird week that follows once you get home. I'm sure this book has a deeper meaning, but I didn't get it.

I was absolutely and completely blown away by this book. As a new mom to a 7-week old, the visceral experiences of our main character felt so familiar and mirrored my own experiences in so many ways.

The way that the author describes early postpartum was so unflinching and raw and didn't shy away from the parts that are deeply challenging and/or dark. As a society, we don't want to talk about or admit to the dark thoughts we have during early motherhood, but the author's prose allows this darkness to shine and doesn't look away or flinch from the realities so many new parents face.

I deeply appreciated and enjoyed this novel and I will absolutely be recommending it to all of my mom friends, especially those who recently had kids.

Thank you for the opportunity to review!

The writing is tops, but this story is literally what it feels like (physically, mentally and otherwise) to care for and nurse a newborn. It is so on-point, but I did this four times and had no desire to live through that again.

Although I remain interested in this kind of writing around early motherhood, this didn't work for me. I'm not much of a plot-driven reader, but this one left even me wishing that something external would happen. The elderly neighbor characters was promising initially, but I didn't think he ultimately contributed to the story.

I have an affinity for books about motherhood. I’ve read books about postpartum psychosis, career-driven mothers, mother-daughter relationships, womanhood as a mother, and no matter what, they always seem to move me to my core despite not being a mother with no plans of becoming one. “The Nursery” was no different.

Following the aftermath of giving birth to her daughter Button, our unnamed narrator suffers from postpartum depression. The shift is drastic. One moment she’s content in her career and relationship, the next, she’s become an isolated milk-making appendage to her newborn baby, an empty shell of who she used to be.

What I love most about these types of books is their unwavering honesty. Motherhood is often looked at as a joyous experience that should be met with appreciation, gratitude, and adoration, but the real feelings of resentment, anxiety, and overwhelming sadness are never talked about openly enough.

“The Nursery” goes against the taboo by painting an unflinching portrait of motherhood with psychological warfare, body horror (detailing the healing process after birth), and a weary stream of consciousness.

Thank you NetGalley and Pantheon for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

In a Nutshell: An unfiltered look at new motherhood and post-partum depression. Loved the theme, but not the writing structure. Won’t recommend it to anyone who wants to experience motherhood some day – this book might turn you off the idea for life!

Written from the first person point of view of an unnamed narrator, the book gives us a glimpse of this new mother’s ponderings and desire for normalcy. Her narration broadly covers three topics: her life with her husband John before motherhood; her current state of mind struggling with being a new mother to her baby (nicknamed “Button”) and suffering from Post-Partum Depression (PPD); and her introspections over various topics such as her work as a translator or her Google searches.

As you can see, I have skipped my usual ‘Story Synopsis’ section in this review. The reason for that is simple: there’s no story in the book! It feels like one endless stream-of-consciousness monologue, flittering across the three broad themes I mentioned earlier. Reading someone’s ramblings for almost 200 pages is no easy task, especially for me. The book also becomes quite repetitive in thoughts and situations. Then again, this might be the point of the plot: to show how new motherhood involves nothing but the same thoughts and actions repeated ad nauseam.

There’s no doubt that the topic of PPD is a brilliant one. The blurb describes this as a ‘visceral and revelatory portrait of a woman struggling with maternal fear and its looming madness’, and I could not have put it better, ‘visceral’ being the key word. I have never seen any book spotlight PPD in such a stark way. It offers an unrestrained view at how much some mothers struggle with their new role as a carer to a helpless infant, while still recovering from the physical brutality of delivering a baby.

As a mother who has been through PPD, I could empathise with many of the narrator’s feelings, especially when she felt frustrated at being the only one with a change in lifestyle while her husband continued as before. The writing choice of letting the narrator stay unnamed while the two men in the story have regular names, also highlights the gender disparity during postnatal experiences, with the narrator being nothing but a ‘mother’ now but John can continue being the same old John. The simple line she tells John—‘You have a choice.’—speaks volumes. John is portrayed almost like a typical traditional husband, caring but in his own way and only when it is convenient to him, without realising how his wife is struggling to cope.

At the same time, it should be noted that the narrator’s PPD was too extreme, and should not be taken as a standard manifestation of the problem, though it is possible in reality. As such, the plot doesn’t cover even a single positive aspect of motherhood, which makes it brutal on the senses. There's hardly any positive word about baby Button. She's described more as a selfish leech who just cares about getting her milk, which IS true of newborns, I suppose. Oh well!

The introductory note describes the book as having funny moments, but in all honesty, I found nothing in it to laugh about. Some scenes that could be perceived by some readers as humorous were too vulgar for my taste. Some other lines that seem funny—"I used to be a translator and now I am a milk bar."—are more about her frustration than her funny bone.

Where I hated the book was in the style of delivery. This is the kind of literary fiction where thoughts go with the flow without any structure. (Somewhat like Geetanjali Shree’s writing in ‘Tomb of Sand’.) There’s no linearity to the events, and there are no happy moments to provide respite. Almost the entire book comes to us through the haze of self-pity and depression, which makes the reading experience feel almost suffocating.

The content could be highly triggering for those who have gone through PPD. Also, expectant mothers or those desirous of becoming a mother: do yourselves a favour and don’t read this book. Motherhood comes with many pains – both physiological and psychological, but it is so much more than just this, even if you have as extreme PPD as our narrator does. I guess that leaves just us battle-weary moms as target readers! 😄 (Of course, men can read it as well, but how many men want to read a literary fiction about PPD? Let’s have a show of hands!)

As a debut work of literary fiction, this book does have many merits. But its style of delivery made it just a good read for me, though it could have been ‘great’ with such a relevant topic. Read it when you are in the mood for a book about the pain of post-pregnancy days than about the joys of motherhood.

I loved and hated the book in equal measure. Thus, the midway rating.

3 stars.


My thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Nursery”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

PS: Even until a few minutes ago, I didn’t get the cover at all! It is only a peek at the other reviews that revealed what the cover art is supposed to represent – an areola with the milk leaking from the nipple. Now that I know this, I can’t unsee it, and I agree that it makes perfect sense for the story. But honestly, if so many readers can’t even recognise what the cover is supposed to indicate, what’s the point of its brilliance?

This was a really good read! Short, sharp and poignant. I'll definitely check out more from this author in the future.

I can recommend this to anyone wanting to read about motherhood and post-partum depression.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Nursery” unfolds inside the head of an unnamed woman battling postpartum depression and isolation. Jessamine Chan, who wrote “The School for Good Mothers,” called it a “radical novel.” Radical, I think is absolutely the right word — it’s radical in its honesty.

The book flips and back forth between the woman’s pregnancy and postpartum depression, and the voice gripped me from the very start. Sometimes it felt like being in someone else’s fever dream.

“The Nursery” is so important because it shines a light on a mental health condition that’s rarely discussed in the open — especially when women’s health care in the U.S. is in crisis.

This is an incredibly difficult book to review and rate because, given the subject matter, it was an incredibly difficult book to read. Ultimately, my rating comes from how well this book captures the postpartum period and depicts postpartum anxiety/depression.

I have four children and never have I read anything that so viscerally and completely depicts postpartum life. The emotions, the physicalities, the mood swings, the anxiety - this book just nails it all. It’s a very difficult book to read because we want to believe that we’ll be in a state of bliss after having a baby. This book shatters that notion, which is so very necessary because that notion is absurd. While there are moments of bliss, of course, those early postpartum days and weeks are a time of change and evolution and struggle. They’re a time when you become a new person while providing care to a new living being.

I love that this book exists. I’ve never read anything like it and I’m so glad that this experience of childbirth and postpartum motherhood has been memorialized.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

*NetGalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Really impressed with Molnar's style, It made the emotions jump off the page and straight into me. I felt every anxious breath and sigh of relief of this new mother. I even found myself really pained to hear about her experience with postpartum and in general navigating the world as a "new" entity. I think mothers get the short end of the stick in so many ways, but I've never felt like I truly understood the complexity until now.

A must-read for current or expecting mothers, feminists, and those passionate about women's mental health, sexual health, and bodily autonomy.

Szilvia Molnar is memorable and very talented.