Fleet Nobody Told Me: Poetry and Parenthood

Not worth to read

I loved this book so much! I could hardly put it down for the first week (well I had to put it down quite a lot - I have a 9 month old daughter!) but now I reeeealllyy don't want it to end and I am saving the last few chapters. I am going to buy this book for my friends when they have babies, it would make a lovely present for new parents. It's absolutely huge as well! Hollie McNish - you have inspired me to try and write my feelings down. Motherhood is absolutely mental and I think it should be written about more, I don't want to forget these times, and my memory is terrible so I know I will if I don't get them down on paper! I felt I have been through and am going through so much of what you described; going through an 'unplanned' pregnancy when I never really felt like the mothering type, none of my friends having babies, everyone making comments about how I was the last person they would of expected to have a baby (even my manager at work said that...and she hardly knew me!), the awkwardness of having to make baby friends... all of it! I have been reading my favourites out to my boyfriend and one of them made me cry which I wasn't expecting - it really helped me explain how I feel about not really feeling up for sex, which in turn really helped him understand. I just want to say thank you for writing such a beautiful book and having the courage to share these feelings,and encouraging others to do the same. I am sure your book will have a positive impact on many generations to come. You should be very proud of yourself! And what a lucky little girl you have, with you to look up to.

Love this you are an true inspiration

Such an amazing, empowering and enlightening read. I am not sure I ever want to have children, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying this honest, witty, raw account of motherhood. You don't have to want or have children to want to be able to empathise, understand and learn about parenthood and Hollie makes this collection so personal and so honest you are immediately swept away by her. "Nobody Told Me" tackles so many issues to do with stereotyping and stigma, and does so urgently and earnestly. It is a book every young person (of both genders) should read. I learnt more about birth and raising a kid in this than I ever did in school or from other people - I realised there was an awful lot that, as a 24 year old woman, I still didn't know, or I had never questioned - quite simply because "nobody had told me", or some things are just "not talked about." Hollie Mcnish, however, does not hold back.

I have never read anything so relatable in my entire life. This book had me in tears, sometimes because it was just so beautiful and sad, sometimes because it was just so hilarious. Hollie was somehow able to capture all the raw emotions that comes along with being a new parent, especially the bits that no one talks about (self-doubt, guilt, body autonomy etc) and make it universally entertaining, but in a really beautiful and poignant way. I read it in 2 days because I just couldn't put it down. I haven't stopped thinking about it and have re-read some of my favourite poems. I literally can not recommend this book enough, and I'm sure some of my fb friends probably wish I would. Do yourself a favour and buy this book. You won't be disappointed.