Television for Women takes a look at pregnancy, post-partum and motherhood through the eyes of Estie, a thirty-something woman who is eight months pregnant at the start of the novel. After giving birth, Estie feels like motherhood does not live up to the rosy-tinted version we have been fed - vibrant and glowing new mamas in yoga pants jogging through the park, head over heels in love with the tiny creature in the stroller. Through the novel’s lyrical prose and unflinching honesty, the author thoughtfully tackles a difficult subject: motherhood.

Thank you to @melvillehouse for a copy of this novel!

Television for Women wasn't the supernatural tale I was hoping for (not sure where I even got that idea from) but rather a stark portrait of postpartum struggles. Estie is an absolute mess - and I mean a MESS. I have never encountered in all my years of reading a character who made such perplexingly asinine decisions. She's uncertain about her pregnancy, her marriage to a newly unemployed professor, and then motherhood itself. To be fair, her husband Owen got fired because he lied about his degree, so he's a bit of a self-pitying shithead himself. Not exactly the rock you'd want beside you when bringing new life into the world. There's also a fair bit of generational trauma at play - Estie's mother suffered similarly and was extremely depressed many years after her children were born. You can see Estie wrestling with the fear of repeating her mother's patterns, crying in the bathroom while her daughter stands outside wondering if she's okay. Her best friend Alice has gone silent since learning about the baby, which I found confusing since Estie seems to have many fond memories of their friendship. But from what we see in the story, Alice doesn't seem to care much about Estie at all, making me wonder if their connection was largely one-sided or if Estie overinflated its importance. The book's unflinching look at the realities of early motherhood – the endless dirty laundry, sleep deprivation, and identity crisis – felt brutally honest. Estie's relationship with her cat Herbert was more developed than her connection with her baby for much of the story, which made the cat's fate particularly disturbing. I more or less enjoyed this, but found myself frequently exasperated by Estie's relentless self-centeredness. While I can't speak to the accuracy of the postpartum depression portrayal (being happily child-free myself), I found myself repeatedly wondering what on earth this woman was thinking.

I recently read Television for Women by Danit Brown, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The novel explores the complexities of identity, relationships, and personal growth in a refreshingly relatable way. The story centers around women navigating their lives, with each character bringing a unique perspective and voice to the narrative. Brown’s writing is insightful and engaging, and she does a fantastic job of blending humor with more serious reflections on life and love.

What really stood out to me was the way Brown explores the ordinary yet significant moments in life, capturing the nuances of personal relationships and self-discovery. It’s a book that feels intimate and real, with characters you can’t help but root for. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking yet accessible read that delves into the lives of modern women, Television for Women is a great choice.

Wow - what an emotional read. I agree with what some other reviewers said about this book not being for everyone, but despite being a difficult one, it was so incredibly relatable that it took me right back to my newborn days as I struggled with PPD myself.

The pacing of this felt a little drawn out, but as someone who went through similar struggles as Estie's, I think it's important that more people read and learn how unfortunately common this is for so many women. They say "it takes a village," but the reality is that not all of us are so lucky to have one, especially when we live so far from friends and family and not everyone understands or is even willing to listen. I even found myself getting frustrated with some of Alice's decisions (especially at the end!) before being quickly reminded that we aren't ourselves in times like these and it's so important to know and learn that it's OKAY to ask for help and that we NEED to do so; and we need to support other parents instead of only asking about the kids, too!

But my GOD I couldn't stand her husband. Poor Estie.

4/5 stars. Thanks so much for this ARC!

I have a love hate relationship with this novel! The searing look at motherhood, and the, sometimes terrifying, nature of postpartum depression is incredibly important. The novel does an exceptional job of sneaking up on you because the problems Estie faces are very real, and very frustrating, so when she goes of the rails you understand how she got there, but are still perplexed about why she is making the choices she is making. There is a HUGE tragedy that happens in this novel (iykyk) that was incredibly heartbreaking, and made me almost quit the novel. I really had to sit with it, and make the decision on whether or not to continue because the act fundamentally shifted how I viewed a lot of the characters in this book. After reflecting, I came to the conclusion that I was expecting Estie's PPD to fit into a box that I didn't even realize I had created, and when she overstepped those bounds, I was ready to write her off completely. And in a lot of ways, that is the betrayal of moms and new motherhood that this novel pushes against.

Where the novel loses me however is by the fact that all versions of Estie have been quite unbearable. Every version of her we meet through the novel is self centered, insecure, and sometimes manipulative. And so, there isn't a huge contrast between her pre ans post baby. Additionally, her relationship with Alice is PERPLEXING. I went into this novel thinking I would LOVE it, but about halfway through it lost some of its shine for me. However, I did still enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for the ARC 3.5⭐️

Estie is a point-blank portrayal of all those thoughts you think but would never want anyone else to know that you think them. Sometimes I cringe, sometimes I sympathize.

This book does not shy away from the realities of postpartum depression. I *did* almost stop after she unnecessarily put down the cat. I mean…yikes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for the ARC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Melville House for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. I started out LOVING this. I think it is an exceptional novel that really shows the struggles new mothers go through and how difficult it is to parent a child. The novel perfectly captured the raw and exhausting life of new motherhood.

**SPOILERS""

However, it was difficult for me to read the part about her putting the cat down because I just had to put my cat down due to a two-year battle with cancer. She put the cat down because the cat was inconvenient and I felt this was incredibly selfish. I suggest not reading the book if you are going through a recent traumatic pet loss like me.

"Estie isn’t sure she likes being eight months pregnant. She isn’t even sure she likes her husband anymore, especially after he hid that he’s been fired from his job. Hello parenthood! Goodbye life as Estie imagined it! Now, she’s stranded and bloated and alone. Her cat is not a people person, and on top of it all, her best friend has been ignoring her calls ever since Estie told her about the baby."

this read was so real and raw. zero humor.
i breezed through it quickly, as the characters were very compelling.
i will be thinking of Etsie for a while.

4/5 star. & i will be recommending this read to others.
thank you to Danit Brown, Melville, & Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The depiction of womanhood and pregnancy is so brutally real that it feels almost visceral. The level of detail the author provides is worth studying. There are some strong moments and well-executed slow burns. While I was hoping for a more captivating storyline, it’s not bad at all so far.

interesting, insightful, and cutting novel with incredible writing. would recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This novel took me by surprise! "Television for Women" is a raw and brutally honest book about postpartum depression, motherhood, self-hatred, and dealing with a mediocre marriage/lifestyle. Estie is a 32-year-old woman who is 8 months pregnant as the novel begins. She's married to an English professor named Owen. Once she gives birth to her daughter, Estie becomes increasingly depressed and anxious. She's very indifferent to her newborn baby and feels betrayed by Owen (who lied about earning his PH. D in literature). Estie also has an overbearing mother, and Estie's best friend, Alice from college starts to pull away from her via texts and phone calls. I really enjoyed the author's writing style. Her prose is razor-sharp, sarcastic, hilarious, and poignant. There's a lot of funny dialogue and chaotic situations in this novel. I must admit, the upsetting scene involving her cat, Hubert did take me out of the novel. I felt like that traumatic scene felt unnecessary, but now that I've had time to think about it, I guess the scene is crucial/important to the mindset of Estie's mental decline. This is a well written and unflinching novel about the negative aspects of being a new parent. This novel won't be for everyone. The author never tries to sugar coat the truth when it comes to Estie's questionable decisions. You may not even like Estie once you finish this book, but I appreciate the author not being afraid to write the unvarnished truth about motherhood, warts and all.

Danit Brown Television for Women Melville Publishing House, June 2025.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

I found this a profoundly disappointing reflection upon a woman’s first few months home with her baby. To Estie, ‘the baby,’ until well into their departure from the safety of the hospital to the home in which the baby’s parents harbour disappointments, the baby at last becomes Rosie to her mother. This is a clever acknowledgement of the distance between Estie, the only source of food, and Rosie who is dependent upon her mother’s presence. That this is only a physical presence is conveyed well by the distancing language. However, this is the redeeming feature for me. Unfortunately, Estie’s self-regard, referred to herself as ‘hormonal’, and later, her behaviour the result of ‘depression’, was a stumbling block for my becoming immersed sympathetically in Estie’s undoubtably distressing and challenging first months of motherhood.

Estie and Owen have chosen parenthood with little thought to its consequences. The birth although not easy, becomes of infinitesimal concern after their abrupt release from the hospital into their car carefully fitted with its safety baby capsule, and then into their home. Here, the cat, a source of Owen’s allergies, Estie’s love/hate feelings, and her mother’s prognostication of threat to Rosie, is a symbol for Estie’s dependence on her relationship with Alice, a college friend. Her need for her friendship, and Alice’s need to deflect this is an important part of Estie’s past. Also impacting on Estie’s present is her parents’ marriage and divorce. Penny, another friend, and Dan, a past lover, all feature in Estie’s attempts to come to terms with the adulthood forced upon her as the most important source of comfort for her daughter.

The never-ending accumulation of soiled laundry, unwashed dishes, unvacuumed and uncleaned surfaces is well depicted. The grinding despair of never having enough sleep, resentfulness at lack of assistance or help inadequately provided all rings true to parents. Even the jealousy of the first smile being given to someone other than herself, and Estie’s fear that her college lover, Dan might be involved with Alice, are understandable. However, driving a force through this is Estie’s relentless ability to place herself first. Becoming mother is not easy. It is also difficult to make legitimate demands. However, this novel, while addressing the first, does not persuade me that Estie is unable to do the latter, making it difficult for me to always engage sympathetically with her story.

Ok this book is super hard for me to review. I got to about 50% and absolutely loved it. All of the characters felt super compelling, I loved the exploration of PPD and how it intersects with men’s weaponized incompetence. I would love to come back and finish this one day. However it does apparently have pet death, which after losing 2 pets in less than 3 months, I just can’t handle right now. If that isn’t a struggle for you, and neither is graphic depictions of child birth, pregnancy, or post partum, I would suggest 100%.

I was highly anticipating this one because of the comparison authors in the synopsis and it didn't let me down. It had important commentary on postpartum depression. I was completely invested in where the story was going. I do wish it had gone a little weirder maybe? But it's definitely dark. Trigger warnings for death of an animal should be included because that could be a deal-breaker for a lot of readers - there's not necessarily cruelty or abuse, but more like negligent/poor treatment. I would definitely read from this author again, I liked the writing style a lot. If you like a dark literary story on motherhood and wifedom, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.

I really enjoyed this book. It painted an honestly pretty bleak picture of motherhood within the constraints of gender norms/expectations and the patriarchy. It highlighted the burden often placed upon women to take care of the baby, the home, and to grapple with all of the changes happening in their body and mind, often without help. I enjoyed reading about her renewed friendship with Penny & the death of an old unsupportive friendship. What I didn’t enjoy is what, in my opinion, was only added for a shock value and that was the cruelty shown towards Estie’s cat. What happened didn’t feel necessary and it tainted the book for me.

First thing’s first: I don’t think this book can be recommended entirely for fans of Nightbitch.

There is no humor in this book. This is a raw, unapologetic discourse on the postpartum period, with emphasis on the female struggle of having to do it all while shunning away the village that is supposed to help a woman do it all.

Did I relate to Estie, our main character? In many ways, yes. I drowned in my first year as a mother, and I absolutely refused any help that was offered. There’s this notion that women are supposed to be strong, we’re supposed to be the caretakers of our home, we are unstoppable. It wasn’t until I was having daydreams about driving my car off a bridge that I gave in to the help, I allowed my son to be cared for by others.

Even though this book is classified as fiction, it’s a book I would recommend to anyone - mother, father, child - just for an understanding of what moms go through and how to spot when things aren’t ok. Television for Women was not written for entertainment; it was written for people to know they’re not alone and that there is truth in their struggles. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Thank you, Netgalley and Melville House for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Television for Women will be published on June 24th of this year.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the representation of the postpartum experience was refreshing. I am not a mother myself, but a nanny and mother's helper who have seen so many different stages and forms of postpartum, from depression to rage to anxiety. It's incredibly important to represent these feelings! I also loved watching Estie slowly realize how superior woman are from a survival standpoint. I love reading about strong women who know they are strong.

I have never read anything that captured the raw, unrelenting reality of early motherhood with such brutal accuracy. Television for Women doesn't flinch at all. It doesn't sugarcoat. It doesn't swerve or dodge, offering the copout or platitude that everything will be okay. It just... sits in the mess of it -- the exhaustion, the resentment, the rumination, the identity crisis, and the quiet terror that this is forever. Danit Brown "goes there" with a level of honesty that almost feels transgressive. It's not the picture of motherhood you find on those IG pages where they pretend to be honest about the difficulty ("you're doing your best mama!"), it's realer and deeper than that.

It's painful, yes. But it's also stunning in its precision. There were moments in this book that cut so deeply that they transported me right back to those early postpartum days -- ones that most of us barely speak about because it's impossible to square them with the joy and love you're supposed to be feeling. Brown tells the truth anyways. And by doing that, she doesn't just write a HELL of a debut, she makes space for those who have lived it. And I just have so much respect for that.

And then, right there at the end, she gives us the most perfect, poignant, and accurate summation of how the fog starts to lift: "Even with the benefit of hindsight, Estie couldn't pinpoint the moment she started feeling better. She'd been miserable to begin with, and then, one day, she wasn't miserable anymore." That is EXACTLY how it happened for me, and I can't believe how simply and accurately she summed up one of the most stunning emotional transformations of my life in two sentences. No grand epiphany, no one coming to save you, no sweeping transformation, just a slow, imperceptible shift until, one day, it isn't so heavy.

I cannot overstate how much respect I have for what Brown has done here. THIS NOVEL WILL NOT BE FOR EVERYONE, but for those who see something of their own experience here, this will hit so different.

Thank you to NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for the advance copy, and for Danit Brown for writing this.

Unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply relatable, this novel offers a refreshingly honest portrayal of the messy, isolating, and often unspoken side of new motherhood. At the heart of the story is Estie, eight months pregnant and already doubting everything — her marriage, her future, and most of all, herself. Her husband has just lost his job (and hidden it from her), her best friend has been ghosting her since she announced the pregnancy, and Estie rapidly realizes that the glowing, fulfilling version of motherhood she’s been sold may not exist.

What sets this novel apart is its fearless approach to dismantling the romanticized version of motherhood so often portrayed in books and media. Estie’s experience is raw and unfiltered — she doesn’t feel an instant, magical connection with her baby. Instead of basking in maternal bliss, she’s consumed by exhaustion, resentment, and the suffocating fear that she’s doing it all wrong. Her internal monologue is biting and brutally honest, capturing the aching loneliness and identity crisis that so many new mothers experience but rarely speak about.

The writing is sharp and full of wit, laced with moments of dark humor that perfectly balance the heavier themes of anxiety, disappointment, and strained relationships. Estie’s interactions with her husband — now unemployed and floundering — are particularly poignant as the cracks in their marriage widen under the pressure of impending parenthood. The tension between them is so vividly drawn that readers will feel Estie’s mounting frustration like a slow, suffocating weight.

But perhaps the most brilliant aspect of the novel is how it captures the internal battle so many women face — the pressure to love motherhood unconditionally versus the reality of its often crushing demands. Estie’s fear of repeating her mother’s mistakes, her longing for her best friend’s support, and her struggle to connect with her baby are portrayed with such raw vulnerability that it’s impossible not to root for her, even when she’s at her lowest.

This is not a tidy, feel-good motherhood story — it’s messy, uncomfortable, and unapologetically honest. Yet through all the chaos and doubt, there’s also an undercurrent of hope as Estie slowly begins to redefine what motherhood — and happiness — looks like on her own terms.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

✨️Review✨️
Television For Women: by Danit Brown
6/5 🌙's
ARC release date June 2025

Overview: Estie isn’t sure she likes being eight months pregnant. She isn’t even sure she likes her husband anymore, especially after he hid that he’s been fired from his job—just in time for parenthood. Goodbye upward mobility! Goodbye life as Estie imagined it! Now, she’s stranded and bloated and alone. Her cat is not a people person, and on top of it all, her best friend has been ignoring her calls ever since Estie told her about the baby.

This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review via @netgalley

Review: *First let me start this statement by saying that I did Review this book very high. Although I didn't care for a few of the characters choices in the book I understand that post partum depression effects everyone differently. This Review may contain spoilers so let me say this first:
Every father, mother, brother, sister should read this book and pay attention to the women in your life post partum. They may truly need your help*


Spoilers possible after here:
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Second let me say as a mother who suffered with post partum depression after giving birth to my first child I believe this book was very accurate. The deep feelings, the emotions, the painful thoughts, all of it was very real. I read this book in a couple of days after a long slump. It was exactly what I needed. It was gripping, it was emotional, and it was relatable. I would say more importantly it is EDUCATIONAL. Yes I said that right. Post partum depression is real and many women suffer with this condition. I was able to mask in front of my family members outside of my home but my husband could see that something wasn't right with me. I am thankful every day for his advice and help during such a tough time in my life. This book shows that love can withstand the harshest conditions. That love is the first to notice when things aren't right. This book could help others notice signs or symptoms like not showering, emotional turmoil, etc. I couldn't recommend this book enough. I feel like the author really understands this topic If she herself hasn't suffered through it. Definitely a must read for anyone with women in their lives. The complicated truth of friendships changing after giving birth and new ones developing. When you become a mother you "molt" into something new.