The Good Enough Mother: Reimagining Motherhood and Work
Moms everywhere are caught up in the struggle between mothering and earning an income. In the most recent U.S Department of Labor study, 70% of mothers participate in some way in the labor force. This percentage continues to climb as couples strive to keep their families financially afloat in America.
Women who choose not to earn an income are vilified and written off for their choice, while working women are consistently made to feel guilty and presented with major roadblocks to cultivating a successful career in an outdated work environment that does not recognize the importance of caregiving. Culture and media paint mothers as “women at war” who argue over petty and unnecessary parenting methods. But Hilary Barnett sees so much more to the story.
With her faith in Christ as a foundation, she shares from a place of raw authenticity and unrelenting hope. She knows that Christ has called her out of shame, guilt, and fear and into a new redemption story as a mother, entrepreneur, and writer. She helps the reader see that in Christ there is freedom to become who we truly are. Hilary puts fresh eyes on Christ’s view of women and delivers a profound message from God’s heart to the heart of any mother reading the book—you are loved, you are called, and you matter.
Sharing her journey from ambitious and educated career woman to mother of two daughters, to work-from-home entrepreneur and writer, Barnett tells a story that so many women can relate to. It’s not about climbing a ladder or achieving success by the world’s standards. It’s about living a life of meaning, doing work that makes a difference, and making time to be with our kids in the moments that matter most.
Rather than taking sides, Hilary embraces the tension of motherhood and work, explores how faith informs work and mothering, and proposes a new way forward—a place where women can love their children and their work fiercely, be honest about the challenges they face, and not have to sacrifice their sanity for a thriving, healthy, and joy-filled life.
Hilary walks women through the phases of her own journey, showing what she has learned along the way—to honor her true callings, trust God’s voice within her, not be afraid to go to the “dark” places in herself or in the world, and to find hope and meaning in the highest highs or lowest lows.
This book offers redemption and hope inside the messiness of motherhood and work. Readers will come away with new eyes to see the urgency and importance of who they are and what they are called to do.
Ultimately, Hilary answers the question: “can women have it all?” She believes that, yes, we can—as long as we redefine “all.”
This is a story that matters right now more than ever.
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