Author(s): Gina Rushton

Non-Fiction | Emily's Book Talkers

Should we become parents? It's a question that forces us to reckon with what we love and fear most in ourselves, in our relationships, and in the world as it is now and as it will be. When Gina Rushton admitted she had little time left to make the decision for herself, the magnitude of the choice overwhelmed her. Her search for her own 'yes' or 'no' only uncovered more questions to be answered. How do we clearly consider creating a new life on a planet facing catastrophic climate change? How do we reassess the gender roles we have been assigned? How do we balance ascending careers with declining fertility? How do we know if we've found the right co-parent, or if we want to go it alone, or if we don't want to do it at all? Drawing on the depth of knowledge afforded by her body of work as an award-winning journalist, Rushton wrote the book that she needed, and others need, to stop a panicked internal monologue and start a genuine dialogue about what we want from our lives and why. The Most Important Job in the World is a powerful, compelling and forensic analysis of the role of motherhood in society today, and the competing forces that draw us towards and away from it.

CONSTANT READER STAFF REVIEW: Emily

One of the most important questions we must ask ourselves throughout our lives is whether or not we want to become a parent. In today’s day and age this question can be even more challenging, with factors such as climate change and the rising cost of living to consider.

Australian journalist Gina Rushton probes this question from every possible angle, asking herself whether she wants to become a mother through the lens of her career, gender roles, family dynamics, fertility, and more.

In the end Rushton doesn’t come to a clear decision, but that doesn’t make the discussion itself any less valuable. I know this is something I will be revisiting again in the future.