The Shadow of the "Second Mother" explores why has there been such little interest, in psychology, social history and biography, in the important contribution that ‘second mothers’, such as wet nurses and nannies, have had upon the emotional life of the children they have nursed. For the last three thousand years and throughout most civilisations they have nurtured the children of the privileged, and kept alive the abandoned and unwanted child, and yet there has been a profound silence surrounding the influence they may have had. The author explores the lives of several well-known people who have been wet nursed, such as Michelangelo, Rousseau, Jack London, Nabokov and Klein. She speculates that they all were affected emotionally by their ‘second mother’, and concludes that a universal feature of such delegated mothering seems to be that the bond between mother and child is broken, and the child may be left with a life-long distrust of close relationships. In The Shadow of the "Second Mother", Coles combines an exploration of attachment theory with neurology, making it possible to give an explanation as to why these important figures have lain unnamed and ignored in our social and psychological consciousness. This intriguing new approach to an ancient practice will be fascinating reading for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, sociologist and students of social history.

The Shadow of the "Second Mother" explores why has there been such little interest, in psychology, social history and biography, in the important contribution that 'second mothers', such as wet nurses and nannies, have had upon the emotional life of the children they have nursed. For the last three thousand years and throughout most civilisations they have nurtured the children of the privileged, and kept alive the abandoned and unwanted child, and yet there has been a profound silence surrounding the influence they may have had. The author explores the lives of several well-known people who have been wet nursed, such as Michelangelo, Rousseau, Jack London, Nabokov and Klein. She speculates that they all were affected emotionally by their 'second mother', and concludes that a universal feature of such delegated mothering seems to be that the bond between mother and child is broken, and the child may be left with a life-long distrust of close relationships. In The Shadow of the "Second Mother", Coles combines an exploration of attachment theory with neurology, making it possible to give an explanation as to why these important figures have lain unnamed and ignored in our social and psychological consciousness. This intriguing new approach to an ancient practice will be fascinating reading for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, sociologist and students of social history.

LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOO-GOOD MOTHER ARCHETYPE is a journey into the heart and soul of mothering. It takes you to places thathave remained hidden due to out-dated beliefs about what it means to be a good mother. The book reveals the truth about being a good enough mother and dispels the myths of being a perfect parent. Based on 32 years of working in pediatric, mental health and public education settings; a doctoral dissertation; and experience of raising four children, Dr. Patti Ashley has written a book that transforms how women feel about themselves as mothers. "The problem that has no name." In 1963 Betty Friedan's book THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE revealed that many mothers were feelingempty, incomplete and invisible, whichFriedan labeled "the problem that has no name." Even though times have changed quite a bit since 1963, a2008 study by Maria Shriver, and the Center for American Progress, revealed that many women still express similar feelings of isolation and emptiness. (The Shriver Report) LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOO-GOOD MOTHER ARCHETYPE is a book that helps women connect more deeply to themselves and others, therefore feeling more authentic, mindful and whole. It weaves real stories and common themes into archetypal mythology and the rapidly changing roles of women, creating the foundation of a new parenting paradigm."

From a New York Times–bestselling author, a saga of mothers, daughters, family secrets and a woman trying to find herself in a small Outer Banks community. Annie A loving mother and wife, Annie O’Neill was the heart of the small community of Kiss River. But her generous nature hid a darker side that remained secret for years after her tragic death. Lacey When Lacey O’Neill finally learns the shattering truth about the mother she’s spent a decade emulating, the foundation of her life begins to crumble. Then her close childhood friend dies, leaving her teenage daughter, Mackenzie, in Lacey’s care, and Lacey unwillingly finds herself in the role of mother. Mackenzie Uprooted by her mother’s death, Mackenzie resents her new home of Kiss River. She wants nothing to do with the father who never knew she existed—and especially not her mother’s oldest friend. But the person who could understand her best might be the one she resents most: Lacey. Praise for Her Mother’s Shadow “Chamberlain . . . bridges the gap between romance and relationship novels in another tale of lost family and found love on North Carolina's Outer Banks. . . . Bringing in characters from past novels and introducing folks sure to show up in future ones, Chamberlain adeptly unfolds layers of rage, guilt, longing, repression and rebellion while gently preaching a message of trust and forgiveness. Complex, credible characterization raises her saga so far above soap opera that even readers who are not already fans will sympathize with the flawed but caring people she compassionately evokes.” —Publishers Weekly

"It's not a story." With four words, Helena's quiet life goes up in flames. When her childhood friend returns to tell her she is the prophesied ruler of the Chosen-those blessed with the gift of magic-there's no avoiding her destiny. Suddenly, Helena is surrounded by a circle of protectors, each man having sworn their loyalty to her since her birth. All except for one: her Mate. It's not enough that she learn how to use her magic and undergo a trial to prove her worthiness; in order to claim her title, Helena must also find the man who carries the other half of her soul. Exiled due to a past he had no part in, Von is the last man the Chosen expect Helena to select. Despite their protests, his soul calls to hers, and there's no denying he was made for her. But the prophecy stands...and all isn't as it seems. There's an enemy lurking within plain sight who will stop at nothing to destroy her.

Should all mothers breast-feed their children? This question remains controversial in the twenty-first century. In an interview with the newspaper Liberation in 2010, feminist philosopher Elisabeth Badinter claimed that the pressure to breast-feed signified “a reduction of woman to the status of an animal species, as though we were all female chimpanzees.” The debate over maternal nursing held even more urgency before pasteurization provided a safe alternative in the early 1900s. While scholars of literary criticism and art history have described the abundance of breast-feeding imagery following the publication of Rousseau’s Emile in 1762, little has been written on its manifestations in the nineteenth century. Despite an ongoing propaganda campaign to encourage mothers to nurse, reflected in such diverse sources as medical theses, paintings, and fictional cautionary tales, French mothers continued to entrust their infants to wet nurses more often and for longer than was the norm in other European countries throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth. This book examines representations of breast-feeding in French literature and culture from 1800 to 1900 and their apparent dissonance with the socio-historical realities of French mothers.