Women continue to fight for their children's custody, despite progress made in recent decades. A book titled "Custody: The Secret History of Mothers" by Lara Feigel delves into the painful experiences of mothers separated from their children, with no clear sense of forward movement.
Lara Feigel's research spans history and fiction, reportage and memoir, but at times struggles to weave these stories together. Her own custody battle is intertwined with that of 19th-century author Caroline Norton, who fought tirelessly for the rights of women over their property and children. While Norton's story offers a glimmer of hope, it also recounts tragedy.
Feigel jumps between different eras, including modern-day America, where celebrities like Britney Spears have been imprisoned in psychiatric hospitals without their children. In these stories, the pain of mothers who've lost custody of their kids is palpable. However, instead of concluding with a hopeful message, Feigel takes the reader back to 2008, showing how little has changed.
The book highlights how women's liberation and children's needs often conflict with patriarchal attitudes and lawyers' arguments. Alice Walker's experience of co-parenting her daughter after divorce serves as an example of this struggle. The author argues that the "curdling of 1960s liberal progress" is evident in these stories.
Feigel ends her book on a note of hope, suggesting we can imagine a future where emancipation and care coexist. However, given the harrowing tales she's shared, such optimism feels fragile and unattainable.
In contemporary courtrooms, Feigel meets women who are fighting for custody, only to be met with indifference from lawyers and a system that seems designed to prioritize adults' interests over children's well-being. The presentation of these stories feels rushed, leaving the reader with a sense of frustration and despair. Despite her best efforts, Feigel's book cannot hide the fact that women still have to fight for their children's custody in a world that often prioritizes patriarchal values above all else.
Lara Feigel's research spans history and fiction, reportage and memoir, but at times struggles to weave these stories together. Her own custody battle is intertwined with that of 19th-century author Caroline Norton, who fought tirelessly for the rights of women over their property and children. While Norton's story offers a glimmer of hope, it also recounts tragedy.
Feigel jumps between different eras, including modern-day America, where celebrities like Britney Spears have been imprisoned in psychiatric hospitals without their children. In these stories, the pain of mothers who've lost custody of their kids is palpable. However, instead of concluding with a hopeful message, Feigel takes the reader back to 2008, showing how little has changed.
The book highlights how women's liberation and children's needs often conflict with patriarchal attitudes and lawyers' arguments. Alice Walker's experience of co-parenting her daughter after divorce serves as an example of this struggle. The author argues that the "curdling of 1960s liberal progress" is evident in these stories.
Feigel ends her book on a note of hope, suggesting we can imagine a future where emancipation and care coexist. However, given the harrowing tales she's shared, such optimism feels fragile and unattainable.
In contemporary courtrooms, Feigel meets women who are fighting for custody, only to be met with indifference from lawyers and a system that seems designed to prioritize adults' interests over children's well-being. The presentation of these stories feels rushed, leaving the reader with a sense of frustration and despair. Despite her best efforts, Feigel's book cannot hide the fact that women still have to fight for their children's custody in a world that often prioritizes patriarchal values above all else.
. I mean, it's 2025 and we're still dealing with this outdated system that puts adults' interests above kids'. It's like, can't we see how damaging this is to women? The book sounds like a must-read, but it's just heartbreaking to think about all these moms who are going through this struggle. I wish Feigel had explored the solution part more, you know, because hope is one thing, but what's the actual plan to change this? We need more than just "imagining a future" - we need concrete action 
this new book is like nails on a chalkboard - it highlights how far we still got to go when it comes to parental rights and fairness for moms. i mean, britney spears being locked up without her kids? 
that's some messed up stuff. and the fact that we're still having this conversation in 2025 is just... ugh. Lara feigel's right, women's liberation and kids' needs don't always mesh. it's like our society is stuck in a time warp where dads get to make all the decisions and moms are left fighting for scraps. i'm trying to stay hopeful with her optimistic ending, but honestly, it feels like we're just spinning our wheels here 
. Feigel's book is like a punch to the gut - it highlights all the ways our society has failed these moms and their kids 
. It feels like we're just going through the motions, pretending like everything is okay when it's not 
. We need to do better than that 
it's crazy how far we've come but yet women are still fighting tooth & nail for what's rightfully theirs - their kids 
I mean, 19th-century Caroline Norton paved the way, Britney Spears is a modern-day example of how messed up the system can be... and this book "Custody: The Secret History of Mothers" just confirms that women still have to fight. 
Lara Feigel's research is impressive but it feels like she's been through the wringer too 
. It's hard not to feel frustrated when you see all these women fighting for custody only to be met with indifference. 
Can't we imagine a world where emancipation & care coexist? 
I wish Feigel had ended on a more hopeful note, but that optimism feels kinda... out of reach right now 
. And don't even get me started on how Britney Spears was locked up in a psych hospital without her kid 
.
. Where's the solutions, Lara? We need to talk about how to fix this system, not just vent about it all day 
. The message of hope and emancipation feels like a fleeting thought, quickly lost amidst the numerous tragic tales she shares 
. The stories she shares are indeed harrowing and painful, leaving the reader with a sense of frustration and despair