Editors' Picks

Between Interruptions: 30 Women Tell the Truth about Motherhood edited by Cori Howard (Key Porter, $33) This collection of essays by Canadian women covers the transformation between maidenhood and motherhood, asking what becomes of us when our children’s lives interrupt our own. Women from all walks of life—including Leanne Delap, Joy Kogawa, Marina Jimenez, and Carrie-Anne Moss—explore what is unspoken, cut off, or lost in motherhood, and the impact it has on identity, ambition, and relationships. (Cori Howard appears at the Family Stories tent at The Word on the Street Festival Sept. 30.)

A YEAR WITHOUT “MADE IN CHINA”: ONE FAMILY’S TRUE LIFE ADVENTURE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY by Sara Bongiorni (Wiley, $30) Recent news stories about toxic toys and tainted toothpaste have made many of us wary of products from China. But as Sara Bongiorni discovered, severing our dependence on goods made in the country with the world’s fastest growing economy is about as easy as eating rice with chopsticks for the first time. Filled with fascinating anecdotes—such as Wal-Mart’s stubborn reluctance to admit just how much they rely on Chinese-produced goods to stock their shelves—this is a thoroughly entertaining account of the difficulties one American family faces when they attempt to live on products made closer to home.

MENOPAUSE WITH SCIENCE AND SOUL: A GUIDEBOOK FOR NAVIGATING THE JOURNEY by Judith Boice (Ten Speed Press, $17) Summer is over, and you’re still sweating? This practical guide is sure to cool your menopausal metamorphosis. Naturopath Judith Boice integrates modern medicine and ancient spiritual wisdom through stories, interviews, and rituals to advise women on health concerns such as bone health, phytoestrogens, diet, and hormone replacement therapy. Whether you’re wondering about hot flashes or an unexpected rebirth of creativity, find the scientific and soul-centered support you need to honour this significant life passage.