An Evening with Author Abigail Leonard
Join us for an evening with Abigail Leonard, an award-winning journalist featured in Time Magazine and The New York Times, and author of "Four Mothers: An Intimate Journey through the First Year of Parenthood in Four Countries". This beautifully reported book explores the heart-wrenching first year of parenthood as seen through the eyes of four different women in the US, Kenya, Finland and Japan. This event will include an author talk, audience Q+A, and book signing.
The event will begin at 7:00 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
Tickets:
$30 - Includes a copy of "Four Mothers"
Free - Admission Only
About Four Mothers
"Four Mothers" follows the journey of Tsukasa in Japan, who grapples with memories of a difficult childhood as she tries to chart a new, healthier path for her own daughter while balancing onerous cultural expectations. Chelsea in Kenya endures a devastating loss just before she gives birth and finds that without the traditional support of previous generations, motherhood can be grueling – but it can also provide emotional healing. Anna in Finland navigates a complicated relationship with her child’s father, but the country’s robust family policies allow her to still pursue the kind of parenthood that she envisioned. Sarah in the US leaves the religious community that raised her in order to create a less traditional family of her own only to find she’s largely confronting motherhood alone.Utterly moving and propulsively readable from page one, Leonard interweaves these stories with a critically researched exploration of how parental support programs evolved in each country—and why some provide more help than others.
About Abigail Leonard
Abigail Leonard is an international reporter and news producer, previously based in Tokyo, where she was a frequent contributor to NPR, Time Magazine, and New York Times video. Before moving to Japan, she wrote and produced news documentaries as a staff producer for PBS, ABC and Al Jazeera America. Stories she reported have earned an Overseas Press Club Award, a National Headliner Award, an Award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism and a James Beard Media Award Nomination. She now lives in Washington DC with her husband and three children.