Honest Motherhood: On Losing My Mind and Finding Myself

Libby Ward

Apr 2026 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Libby Ward

About this audiobook

An unflinchingly honest and disarmingly funny memoir from an exhausted mom who broke under the pressure to do it all, faced her past, found herself in the rubble, and then paved her way out by telling the truth

“Libby Ward has written the motherhood manifesto we didn’t know we needed. Read Honest Motherhood. Shove it into the hands of every mom you know.”—New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker

When Libby Ward became a mother at twenty-six, she thought she was prepared. Determined to give her kids a childhood different from her own, she clung to the world’s “shoulds” like her children's future depended on it. That was her first mistake.

A couple years later, with a toddler around her ankle, a needy baby in her arms, and silent rage coursing through her veins, Libby began to unravel. Struggling to manage the unrelenting and often unspoken expectations of mothering, she did what any overfunctioning people-pleaser would do—she wallowed in shame. Then, she tried harder. Self-care! Boundaries! Sleep when the baby sleeps! But as Libby’s body and mind began to push back, Libby wondered: Why, with so much information and advice at our fingertips, is motherhood still so impossibly hard?

In Honest Motherhood, Libby candidly shares her journey of unlearning the myth of the ideal mother. She dives headfirst into the experiences many mothers have but few feel safe enough to say out loud—the lack of support, the guilt, the invisibility, the cycles they’re breaking, and the fantasies about a hospital stay just to get a flippin’ break. Libby untangles her social conditioning from learned trauma responses and discovers that letting go of unrealistic standards, asking for help, and prioritizing herself aren’t failures—they’re necessities.

Equal parts memoir and manifesto, flush with refreshing takeaways, Honest Motherhood is a rallying cry for moms to let go of perfection, choose themselves, and give their kids what they need most—a mother who is present and whole.

About the author

Libby Ward is a writer, speaker, and advocate redefining the motherhood narrative. Through her social media platforms, Libby is known to connect and empower women with honesty, humor, and her relatable voice. She has been featured on the BBC, Good Morning America, and is a member of Reese Witherspoon’s inaugural Hello Sunshine Collective. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two children.