“An intimate study of parenthood, sacrifice, and a fight for self-fulfillment.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Julie Young writes the high-wire act of motherhood like no other. Rules for Mothers is a raw, immediate and deeply poignant examination of modern motherhood and all its challenges. Bravo.” —Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of The Child Finder 

“Young’s narrative is complex and emotive, shedding light on mental illness, the stigma surrounding divorce, and the often-overwhelming burdens of motherhood” —Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Review

“...an emotionally incisive and beautifully restrained exploration of the quiet unraveling that can happen behind the polished surface of family life.” —San Diego Book Review

“Young’s prose moves fluidly between past and present, creating a layered portrait of how identity frays and reforms over time.” —Los Angeles Book Review

“... an unflinching, beautifully crafted exploration of motherhood’s contradictions: its devotion and depletion, its intimacy and isolation. Through the lens of Elly Sparrow, a mother of four whose identity unravels beneath the expectations of wifehood and maternal perfection in 1980s Oregon, Young crafts a deeply human portrait of quiet suffocation and self-awakening.” —San Francisco Book Review

“At home with four young children, Elly Sparrow is losing her sense of self and tries to stuff down her gnawing angst. Until she can’t. With graceful prose, debut novelist Julie Swendsen Young compels us to question gender rules and expectations and become the main character in our own life stories. Even when happy endings are not guaranteed.” —Vivian McInerny, Former journalist at The Oregonian

“Rules for Mothers is a heartfelt tale of one woman determined to have her own life despite the forces working against her. With crisp, clear prose, it speaks to the impossibility of remaining sane under the crippling expectations of motherhood. This story illuminates the timeless challenges so many mothers have faced, all set against the beautiful, nostalgic backdrop of 1980s Portland.” —Shannon St. Hilaire, author of To Look Upon the Sun

“Rules for Mothers is an intimate, honest exploration of marriage, the complexity of motherhood, self-discovery, and forging a path to maturity. Young’s novel shines a clear light on the work of finding yourself.” —Carol Kerr, Ph.D, psychologist, co-author of Not the Trip We Planned 

“Rules for Mothers isn’t just about motherhood; it’s about the cost of invisibility. It’s about women who give everything and realize, too late, that no one ever told them how to keep a piece of themselves. Honest, intimate, and often painfully familiar, this novel doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does what the best fiction should: it makes you stop and think about your own life in the silence between the words.” —Seattle Book Review

“By weaving in literary and cultural touchstones such as Simone de Beauvoir, feminism’s second wave, and the remnants of the hippie movement, Young situates Elly’s personal turmoil within a broader historical moment. Yet her prose remains intimate and immediate, as if written from a mother’s diary left open on the kitchen counter. “The kitchen is not a room of one’s own,” Elly concludes, and that line encapsulates the novel’s aching truth.” —Portland Book Review

National publicity & Marketing Campaign:

•   Publishing Industry Publications
•    Podcasts
•    Regional News (TV & Radio)
•    Book Reviews Sites and Publications
•    Book Blogs
•    Social Media Book Influencers

Topics & Focus:

•   -Women writers, women's fiction
•   -Motherhood/parenting
•   -Literary Fiction
•   -Local - Portland, PNW