In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of 
The Mother Code
 with author Ruthie Ackerman, in conversation with Cloe Axelson.
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The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths that Shape Us
In this propulsive memoir, an award-winning journalist blends history, science, and cultural criticism to uncover whether motherhood outside of society’s rigid rules and expectations is possible—and whether she fits the mold for what a mother should be.
“This tender, generous book does the hard work of redefining ‘motherhood’ and ‘family’ so that they honor all aspects of a woman’s life.”—Christie Tate, author of the 
New York Times
 bestseller 
Group
Ruthie Ackerman had long believed that the decision to not have children was a radical act. She’d grown up being told that she came from a long line of women who had abandoned their kids and feared she would pass on her half-brother’s rare genetic disorder. So when she marries a man who doesn’t want children, she hopes she can be happy without any. But a voice in her head keeps returning to the question: 
What if mothering can be a radical act too? 
When her marriage veers off course, she goes searching through the twists and turns of her DNA to decide once and for all whether she should become a mother.
By the time Ruthie finally determines that she desperately wants a child, she learns that motherhood won’t happen the way she thought it would. Now she must enter the hall of mirrors where biology, genetics, and philosophy collide as she wonders what it means to both create and nurture a life. What does inheritance really entail? What does it mean to be a “good” mother? When it comes down to it, how important is nature versus nurture? And where are the models for what a “good life” can look like for women, both with and without children?
Synthesizing reportage and memoir, 
The Mother Code 
unravels how we’ve come to understand the institution of motherhood. What emerges is a groundbreaking new vision for what it means to parent: a mother code that goes beyond our bloodlines and genetics and instead urges us to embrace inheritance as the legacy we want to leave behind for those we love.
Ruthie Ackerman’s
 writing has been published in 
Vogue, Glamour, O Magazine, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Salon, Slate, 
and
 Newsweek
. She launched the Ignite Writers Collective in 2019 and has since worked with hundreds of writers to publish their own stories. Her client wins include a 
USA Today
 bestseller, book deals with Big 5 publishers, representation by buzzy book agents, and essays in prestigious outlets. Ruthie Ackerman has a master's degree in journalism from New York University and lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Cloe Axelson
 is the senior editor of WBUR’s opinion page, 
Cognoscenti
. Cloe first came to WBUR in 2015, as a contributor
.
 Two years later, in 2017, she joined Cog’s staff as an editor. Prior to WBUR, she worked as a grassroots organizer on political campaigns in Missouri, as the assistant to a best-selling author in New York City, in the public affairs office at MassDEP (where she wrote speeches and learned an unusual amount about stormwater management) and on the communications team at the Democratic National Committee. She also worked as a consultant for Partners In Health, for several national nonprofit organizations, including the state PIRGs and City Year, and taught college-level writing at Boston University, where she earned her masters degree. Cloe and her husband have three daughters and a dog, Fern. She lives with her family in the Boston suburbs.
About Brookline Booksmith
We are one of New England’s premier independent bookstores, family-owned and locally run since 1961. We offer an extensive selection of new, used, and bargain books; unique, beautiful gifts; award-winning events series; and specialty foods. Every day, we strive to foster community through the written word, represent a diverse range of voices and histories, and inspire conversations that enrich our lives. Find more at 
brooklinebooksmith.com
!
EVENT ACCESSIBILITY
This event will take place at street level. 
If possible, the event will be livestreamed to YouTube. ASL interpretation may be provided (based on the availability of interpreters) but must be requested at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. Seats are limited. 
Please email us at ticketing@brooklinebooksmith.com as soon as possible if you require ASL interpretation, guaranteed seating, or other accommodations. 
We will do our best to serve your needs!
Information Source: Brookline Booksmith | eventbrite

Windham County

United States

Brookline

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