The Mental Load

The Mental Load / Emma; 
trans. from the French by Una Dimitrijevic
Seven Stories Press, c2018.
224 p.

I had this book on hold for a while at my library and it just came in this week. I didn't realize that it was originally French & had been translated. Perfect for Women in Translation month -- written and translated by a woman, and all about women's lives in our world. 

It's made up of a series of comics that a writer known only as Emma has been writing and sharing online for a while. The title story, The Mental Load, went viral and catapulted her and feminist thought about women's labour into everyday discussions. You can read the complete title piece, and probably the best known of all her work, over at her own blog. It gives a clear sense of her writing and drawing style, and the pedagogical tone that is consistent throughout the book.

I found that it was also the strongest piece in the book. There are others about topics like universal income, women's sexual health, domestic violence, birthing and motherhood and maternity leave, and a fable about a woman's right to cover up or reveal her body and how that's socially controlled. 

I enjoyed this book, and found lots in it to think about. But it's probably best as an intro to these topics for people who haven't engaged with them a lot, as they're very introductory and top-level. It would be an excellent first-year reader at college, for example. What I think is the strongest element of them is the way that Emma can talk about serious issues facing women today without being confrontational in a way that cuts off discussion; rather, she seems to invite conversation with her work, without watering down her feminist message. 

That's quite a skillful balance and I found this book engaging. You can find more by and about her at her blog, also simply called Emma.