Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do

Half of all women in the United States will live with or marry a man with children. And what woman with stepchildren has not—in order to defuse the often overwhelming challenges and anxieties she experiences—referred to herself as a “stepmonster”? What Hope Edelman’s book has done for motherless daughters, Wednesday Martin’s empowering and original Stepmonster does for stepmothers: unlocks the emotional mysteries of why they think and feel and act the way they do. Martin draws on her own experience as a stepmother, interviews many stepmothers and stepchildren, and gathers insights from literature, psychology, and evolutionary biology to reveal the little-understood realities of this demanding role. Stepmonster illuminates the harrowing process of becoming a stepmother, exposes the myths and realities of being married to a man with children, counteracts the prevailing notion that stepmothers are solely responsible for the problems they encounter, identifies the five “step-dilemmas” that create conflict, and considers the emotional and social challenges men with children face when they remarry. Stepmonster also sheds light on the history of stepmothering and the previously overlooked legacy of women with stepchildren everywhere. Finally, in an unexpected twist, Martin shows why the myth of the Wicked Stepmother is at once an elaborate cultural fiction and our single best tool for understanding who real stepmothers are and how they feel.

• The Single Girl's Guide to Marrying a Man, His Kids, and His Ex-Wife: Becoming A Stepmother With Humor And Grace
• The Happy Stepmother: Stay Sane, Empower Yourself, Thrive in Your New Family
• Stepcoupling: Creating and Sustaining a Strong Marriage in Today's Blended Family
• A Career Girl's Guide to Becoming a Stepmom: Expert Advice from Other Stepmoms on How to Juggle Your Job, Your Marriage, and Your New Stepkids
• But I'm NOT a Wicked Stepmother!: Secrets of Successful Blended Families
• The Stepmoms' Club: How to Be a Stepmom without Losing Your Money, Your Mind, and Your Marriage
• The Smart Stepmom: Practical Steps to Help You Thrive
• Co-parenting with a Toxic Ex: What to Do When Your Ex-Spouse Tries to Turn the Kids Against You
• Step Back: A Stepmother's Handbook
• 131 Conversations for Stepfamily Success: How to Grow Intimacy, Parent as a Team, and Build a Joyful Home (131 Creative Conversations) (Volume 4)