While visiting my local bookstore, my friend pulled out a book with a bright red cover featuring three large steaks. The book was called Nightbitch, and I caught the excited gleam in my friend’s eye as she explained this would be something weird and different to break up my TBR. “It’s about a woman who thinks she’s turning into a dog,” she exclaimed, and I thought it would be the perfect story for the spooky season. While author Rachel Yoder certainly transformed a mother into something new but recognizable, Yoder also bared her teeth and revealed motherhood in all its guts and glory.
The mother feels fur growing at the nape of her neck, sees that her canines have elongated, and has developed an unnervingly good sense of smell. After leaving her art career to stay home with her son, the reality of her situation begins to gnaw at the mother’s sanity. Is she turning into a dog, or is she losing her mind in the isolation and exhaustion of staying home to raise a child? With little to no guidance or support, the mother embraces her transformation to navigate the demands of society and motherhood.
Nightbitch is described as funny and clever, and it is both of those things, but I am more surprised by how deeply I was moved and affected by Yoder’s portrayal of motherhood. I am not a mother, but it was easy to imagine myself in this mom’s tired body, throwing on days-old athleisure clothes and eschewing any form of self-care to raise a young boy. Yoder leaves the mother nameless and paints such a vivid picture of this woman’s daily life that it opens up space for readers to find a piece of themselves in this protagonist. The mother’s raw thoughts and feelings are on display, and even though she may be turning into a dog, her experience and reactions to every situation are so human that they can’t help but be relatable. The window into her head reveals every great and vile thought we’ve ever had about our lives, careers, relationships, friendships, and maybe even motherhood. If you can’t imagine identifying with this ravenous mother, that’s okay, but I guarantee you’ll find glimmers of a woman in your life, and after reading this book, you’ll have a new or maybe enhanced sense of awe for the person they are.
Yoder’s portrayal of a mother turning into a dog not only warps the world for the reader to give it a more fantastical tinge, but it also serves as a commentary on how harshly society can view motherhood and the impossible expectations placed upon women. The mother’s dog-like qualities, when revealed to her young son, are met with wonder and delight. He loves his mother with abandon, never questioning his mother’s curious habits, but instead fueled by curiosity and willing to embrace the canine characteristics. Yet when the mother leaves the safety and isolation of her own home, she fears the judgment of the other mothers. Is it weird that she licks her son’s cheek as a sign of affection? Or that she spurs him to chase after squirrels in the park? The mother is wrought with worry under the pressure. She shrinks in fear of the eyes upon her, judging her son’s messy shirt, the unhealthy but easy snacks she was able to pull together, or the boy’s lack of potty training progress. The mother doesn’t have her hair and makeup done, and she certainly doesn’t have a job or hobby to flaunt to the other mothers, but did she not create life, wake up each day to protect him, and create endless opportunities for this little one to take hold of?
Pick up this book even if you’re unfamiliar with the experience of motherhood. Stripped down to its bare bones, Nightbitch tells a story about losing yourself and transforming into something new, something that is both terrifying and exhilarating. This book acknowledges that we all have hopes and dreams and ideas for ourselves, and that sometimes those things don’t work out. It’s scary and frustrating, and it may feel like the entire floor of your life just dropped out beneath you. But living is not a static experience, and maybe shifting to a new perspective is all that it takes to find a way forward that honors the new person you are now, sharp teeth and all.
Nightbitch is extremely weird and strange and beautiful. If you’re unwilling to give into this mother’s canine impulses and watch her transformation, then this story is not for you. You need to be willing to fall in line behind the alpha dog before running with the pack. For me, this story was transformational, and it inspired a lot of reflection on my decisions about motherhood while reinforcing my deep appreciation for the incredible woman who raised me.
Rating: Nightbitch – 10/10
-Brandee
