Charman writes with intelligence and generosity and sprinkles her history with details that are enraging provocative and frequently amusing New StatesmanMotherhood is a political state. Helen Charman makes a radical case for what liberated mothering could be and tells the story of what motherhood has been from the 1970s to the 2010s.When we talk about motherhood and politics together we usually talk about isolated moments the policing of breastfeeding or the cost of childcare. But this is not enough we need to understand motherhood itself as an inherently political state one that has the potential to pose a serious challenge to the status quo.In Mother State Helen Charman uses this provocative insight to write a new history of Britain and Northern Ireland.