Book Nook: Women's Work - A Reckoning with Work and Home

I had a chance recently to read a book with an interesting concept. The synopsis:

On the surface, Megan Stack’s life was chaotic – reporting on war for the Los Angeles Times from more than a dozen countries, she was used to dropping everything and leaving in pursuit of a new story. The long hours on the road, the danger of traveling war-torn countries as a woman, and the heartbreaking conditions of those still living in the devastated countries were manageable to Stack – it wasn’t until she had her first child while living in China that she truly felt overwhelmed.

An alien in her own life, sleep-deprived, paranoid, with her husband quickly returning to his own job as a correspondent, Stack was alone with a baby she didn’t feel confident she could make happy. She had planned to write after the birth of her son, but found herself unprepared for juggling household duties, child-rearing, and writing. So she did what all well-off families abroad do - she hired a nanny, taking her away from her own family and children to watch over Stack’s.

It's a unique look at a system that doesn't really seem to make sense on paper - that women are removed from their homes to do traditional "women's work" in other homes, so that the women in those homes have more leisure time, join the work force, or enjoy other pursuits.

The book is simultaneously a personal story about Stack and her family, and a commentary on this societal institution at large. It's an intriguing book, well-written, and a good read for anyone who grapples with the role of women in their families.