That Kind of Mother

That Kind of Mother (2018), a contemporary literary novel by Rumaan Alam, centers on a first-time mother struggling with the demands of motherhood. When her nanny dies, she adopts her nanny’s child. The book was generally well received by critics and readers. Alam writes full-length fiction and short stories for adults. Her work has appeared in publications such as The New Republic and The New York Times. She graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in writing. That Kind of Mother is her second novel.

Poet Rebecca Stone recently gave birth to her first child, Jacob, at La Leche Hospital. Although Rebecca loves Jacob dearly, she feels overwhelmed by motherhood. She doesn’t think she has what it takes to be a good mother, although her husband, Christopher, disagrees.

One day, Rebecca struggles with breastfeeding. A nurse, Priscilla, notices Rebecca struggling and shows her how to do it. Rebecca doesn’t know how to express her gratitude. Priscilla tells her to stop worrying and to let motherhood come naturally. During Rebecca’s stay in the hospital, Priscilla gives her hints and tips to help her out when she takes Jacob home. Still feeling overwhelmed, Rebecca is convinced that Priscilla is simply a better mother than she will ever be.



Christopher suggests that they ask Priscilla to work for them as Jacob’s nanny. She obviously knows how to look after children, and Rebecca is comfortable with her. Rebecca decides this is a great idea, because it will give her a chance to work on her poetry again, too. Priscilla doesn’t want to leave her job. She fought hard to secure the position and she doesn’t want to let it go. Finally, Rebecca convinces her to resign.

Back home, Priscilla tends to Jacob while Rebecca works on her poetry and adjusts to life as a new mother. Soon, Priscilla and Rebecca become best friends, treating each other more like family than an employer and employee. However, everything changes for Rebecca when, one day, Priscilla announces that she is pregnant.

Upset because she knows she will lose Priscilla, Rebecca realizes that she can look after Jacob on her own now. However, Priscilla dies in childbirth, leaving behind Andrew, a healthy baby boy. Priscilla’s daughter, Cheryl, cannot afford to look after Andrew, and so Rebecca offers to take Andrew in just for now.



A few months go by, and Cheryl admits that she still cannot look after Andrew. She asks Rebecca if she would consider adopting Andrew. Rebecca is honored to adopt him because he is Priscilla’s son. No one knows who Andrew’s father is, and so the adoption process is expedited. Christopher warns Rebecca that raising two children is more difficult than one, but she feels she is up to the challenge.

Meanwhile, Christopher loses his job at the bank where he works. The bank is under investigation for fraud and embezzlement, but Christopher is cleared of any wrongdoing. The whole family feels the strain of Christopher’s unemployment, especially since Rebecca is still struggling to juggle writing and motherhood.

Although Rebecca hates to admit it, there is a problem in her marriage, too. She doesn’t love Christopher anymore. She admits that she wants a divorce, which Christopher accepts. They do their best to stay friends to make life easier on the children, even going on vacation together. For the first time in years, Rebecca feels that she has everything under control.



Everything changes when Andrew gets a little older. Cheryl feels she must prepare Andrew for a life of hardship as a black boy. Rebecca thinks this is unnecessary, which causes tension in the family. Cheryl argues that Rebecca has no idea how lucky she is, while Rebecca refuses to accept that Andrew is at any disadvantage.

However, Rebecca must soon accept that Cheryl is right. One day, Jacob tells Andrew that he doesn’t belong in the family because he is black. Disappointed in Jacob, Rebecca wonders where this outburst came from. Jacob says that the teacher picks on Andrew and separates him from the rest of the class all the time. He is sick of feeling different because he is associated with Andrew. Now, Rebecca doesn’t know what to do or how to feel.

Rebecca receives news that she has won a prestigious poetry award. She finds it poignant that, just when her professional career is taking off, her life at home has deteriorated. She decides to take control of the situation, using her platform for good. She will advocate for racial equality and promote a better world. Cheryl observes that it is only possible for Rebecca to influence anyone because she is white. Cheryl is certain that no one would listen if Rebecca were black.