Skip to Main Content

Adult Conversation

A Novel

Published by She Writes Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

April is a thoughtful yet sarcastic mother of two who tries her best to be a caring, connected mom in a middle-class culture where motherhood has become relentless. April rages at modern motherhood’s impossible pressures, her husband’s “Dad privilege,” and her kids’ incessant snack requests. She wants to enjoy motherhood, but her idealist vision and lived experience are in constant conflict with one another. Is she broken—or is motherhood?

Desperate for an answer, she seeks out a therapist, and lands with an unexpected woman whose validation and wisdom gives April the clarity to reclaim herself and even start designing clothes—her pre-motherhood passion. But when the ever-elusive babysitter cancels last-minute, April finds herself back at square one. She seeks guidance, but her therapist is now dealing with her own crumbling marriage—and instead of counseling April, she convinces her to speed off to Las Vegas with her to help catch her husband cheating. With a little weed, alcohol, and topless pool hopping, plus a male stripper and some much-needed autonomy, the two find lost pieces of themselves that motherhood swallowed up. But neither one is prepared for how tested—and tempted—they will be, or for the life-altering choices their journey will force them to make. Who is guiding whom anymore?

About The Author

Brandy Ferner is a mother, wife, and the creator of the Adult Conversation podcast, social media pages, and blog. Her writing has been featured in Good Morning America, HuffPost, Romper, CafeMom, TODAY Parents, and more. In addition to writing and fulfilling her kids’ endless snack requests, she spent the past decade working as a doula, childbirth educator, and birth trauma mentor, ushering clients through the intense transition into motherhood. The insight gained from watching moms crack wide open -- literally and figuratively -- and her own experience as an independent woman who suddenly traded autonomy for snuggles, led her to say out loud the things that modern mothers are thinking. Sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s comedic, but it’s always honest. She currently lives in Southern California, and her love language is sleep.

Product Details

  • Publisher: She Writes Press (May 5, 2020)
  • Length: 280 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781631528439

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

2020 IPPY Awards Silver Winner in Humor

“Laugh-out-loud funny. You will not be able to put it down, just like your children.”
—Emily Liebert, USA Today best-selling author of Pretty Revenge

“The great specificity with which Ferner writes about child-rearing. . . helps set this book apart in the field of comic women’s fiction. . . Ferner will likely have many fans awaiting her next irreverent volume. A clever and often caustic sendup of modern motherhood.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Ferner’s book is at times laugh-out-loud/so-funny-you-have-to-repeat-aloud-to-the-person-nearest-you, and at times viscerally poignant in how accurately she portrays motherhood—as well as how tenuous working outside of the home can feel! Most of all, she reminds us that no matter how many children we have, where we live, or how we live, we as mothers are more alike than we are different: we all share a driving, intense love for our children and are at our strongest when we band together.”
—Dr. Darria Long, best-selling author of Mom Hacks

“This book is as important as it is hilarious–social artistry at its finest. Brandy warms the heart, blows the whistle, and helps us feel less alone in the struggle.”
—Beth Barry, author of Motherwhelmed, creator of Revolution From Home

“Reading Adult Conversation is like having a friend who is both funny and 100% real walking beside you on the heart-bending and life-upending path of parenthood. You will see yourself within these characters and find humor and solace on every page. Brandy has somehow captured the sometimes soul-crushing reality of parenthood in a way that makes you laugh, feel deeply seen, and provides a bit of therapy all at the same time!”
—Britta Bushnell, PhD, author of Transformed by Birth

“…this gripping story is so relatable you'll wonder if she pulled pages from your journal…. Adult Conversation is a much-needed antidote to today's perfect Instagram mom.”
—Laura Mullane, author of Swimming for Shore: Memoirs of a Reluctant Mother

Adult Conversation might not sell you on stay-at-home motherhood, but it will make you long for more time to stay at home reading.”
—Darcy Lockman, author of All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images