BOOK REVIEW

Take What You Need by Idra Novey

Motherhood, Aging, and Need

Photo by Liana Mikah on Unsplash

This month, I read another book told in two voices, addressing multiple themes. Take What You Need by Idra Novey covers a lot of ground: motherhood, stepmothers, racism, socioeconomic class, education, Art/art, and poverty. The one I found most compelling was motherhood — specifically step-motherhood. As a stepmom, I felt a chill when one of the characters asked, “What is a stepmother anyway?” It is such a complicated role to figure out for both stepmother and step child. The role is made all the more complicated by societal, personal, and generational definitions. And let’s not forget to mention cultural — most fairytales have not been kind to stepmothers.

Summary

In the beginning of the book there are two main characters, each with a unique voice and POV told in alternating chapters. As I read, though, Jean became the focus. Her stepdaughter Leah served as another way for the reader to understand Jean. We’re introduced to Jean as an older woman living alone in her dilapidated childhood home in the hills of Pennsylvania. Her greatest joy in life was raising her stepdaughter up to age ten. At that point, Jean reached her limit with Leah’s father and threatened to walk out. He let her leave. Then he cut her out of Leah’s life. Decades later…