“A compelling argument that will inspire robust debate. The author makes her case in supremely cogent and delightfully pointed terms, conducting an intensive interrogation of female oppression.”

—Kirkus Reviews, (Starred Review)

“For anyone who’s ever shaken their head at lazy punditry that pits women’s equality against economic justice, Motherhood Discounted is a breath of fresh air. Through rigorous and historically-grounded analysis of the ‘myth of autonomy,’ Carolyn McConnell demands that we recognize how the ties that bind aren’t the private province of a Victorian ‘angel in the home,’ but what we all owe to each other. As right-wing movements worldwide demand that women embrace motherhood as a matter of national security—while continuing to denigrate support for families as parasitism—McConnell’s message can’t come soon enough.”

—Kathryn Joyce, author of The Child Catchers and Quiverfull

“In Motherhood Discounted, McConnell creatively deploys an incisive, cutting analysis of seemingly disparate histories—from witchcraft to welfare, Cesarean sections to safety nets—to weave together a broader understanding of autonomy, care, and our unfulfilled social contract to both mothers and families.”

—Gretchen Sisson, author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood

“Who’s afraid of dependency? Certainly not Carolyn McConnell, whose bold and illuminating book exposes the myth of autonomy for what it is: a lie that effectively devalues and exploits care work; normalizes patriarchy, poverty, racism, and ableism; undermines reproductive rights; endangers mothers and children; and obscures the real source of our deeply unequal world. McConnell doesn’t just diagnose the problem. She offers a path forward, a declaration of dependence that demands we think, act, and count differently.”

—Robin D. G. Kelley, Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History, UCLA and award-winning author of numerous books, including Race Rebels and Yo’ Mama’s DisFunktional

“There are perhaps no ideals more cherished in American culture than autonomy and self-sufficiency. In this accessible, carefully researched book, Carolyn McConnell argues that autonomy is a myth that harms us deeply, obscuring the ways in which we are dependent on one another, and acting as a cover to exploit unpaid reproductive labor from the most marginalized members of society. McConnell shows us how this myth became so pervasive and the human interdependencies it obscures. In so doing, she inspires us to imagine alternative modes of living in community, rooted in care and a robust recognition of our interdependence.

I loved how McConnell drew on both her personal experience and her deep knowledge of the law, and interwove them throughout. Her prose is so engaging- I usually find discussions of legal precedent dry and dull, but she really makes the stakes clear.”

—Emily Callaci Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of Wages for Housework

“This important book explains how the “autonomy myth” blinds us to the reality that we all are dependent throughout our lives on social relationships, and institutions. Carolyn McConnell uses her real world experience as a mother to compelling and sensitively demonstrate how this detrimentally affects not only individual lives but the entire society. Highly recommend.”

—Martha Albertson Fineman, Robert W Woodruff Professor of Law and author of The Autonomy Myth: A Theory of Dependency

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