Book Review of Touched Out by Amanda Montei

Here is an excerpt. The full review appears on the Linden Review

“Dearest readers, beware. Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control, by Amanda Montei, is not for the faint of heart. When you decide to read this book, be brave, as the writer has been, while gazing unflinchingly into the looking glass of what it means to be a girl, woman, wife, or mother in twenty-first century America. In her “fun-house mirror of shame,” Montei reveals dark reflections of experiences with drunken sexual assault, compromised consent, and caregiver fatigue—each outlining a long history of male entitlement entrenched in patriarchal society. Deeply important is her analysis of the continued subjugation of women, policing and ownership of the female body, and the uneven labor of childrearing—all violations, she argues, women are socialized to expect. She writes that “American motherhood has always reeked of misogyny—the expectation that women give and never receive, and the belief that whatever women do give, it will never be enough, or it will be too much.” Though equality for women has improved, Montei shows us we still have a long way to go in prioritizing the needs of women, children, and families. It is not a pleasing, put-on-a-smile read, nor is that the intention behind its writing.”