Part of the point I'm trying to make in this piece is that the labor is so invisibleized.

And interestingly enough, many women have said it's the most complete picture of motherhood they've ever read,

which says to me not even that I did it so well, but that there's so little out there.

All right. What's happening? How are you? We're back. This week, three-time podcast guest,

making her third appearance on this program, Savala Nolan. She has a new book out.

It's called Good Woman, and it was named Most Anticipated Feminist Book of

26 by Ms. Magazine.

It was called electrifying, startling, clear-eyed, stunning, and scope, revelatory. That's what other people have said.

What I'll say is I loved it. And I gushed her about it and we get into it quite a lot and what

you're about to hear. So let's get to it as quickly as possible. I'm so

glad you're here listening. I'm so glad Saval's back. And as you'll soon find out, it's a very

vulnerable book of essays, a book of personal essays. It's very original, timely, and unforgettable. I'll say it.

She writes with such raw honesty about making herself smaller, both literally and metaphorically,

in order to be a good daughter, good wife, good mother, and all the

ways she allowed herself to be diminished to keep the peace. And as you can probably imagine,

she isn't alone in doing that. And she began to see this pattern in other people too and so in these 12 essays that's what

she explores they blend cultural commentary and of course her experience and reportage and history

and we talk about all of it including the emotional process of writing about tender things, such as the

end of her marriage and respecting our own hunger and appetite in every way, creatively, physically,

the realities of motherhood, societal expectations, and yeah, this myth of being good.

And the conversation, you know, goes in several directions.

But it was really great to get to talk to Sabal.

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