How to Raise a Feminist Son: Motherhood, Masculinity, and the Making of My Family

Jha (Foreign), a journalism professor at Seattle University, issues an urgent, fervent plea to raise feminist sons in this trenchant guide. Jha, who writes of growing up in an abusive patriarchal system in India, frequently draws on her own experience as she implores parents to raise boys outside of gender stereotypes. To counter misogyny and toxic masculinity, she and advocates for reshaping masculinity into a gentler version in which boys are “free to experience and express the whole spectrum of human emotion.” Finding examples in movies and nursery rhymes, she identifies teaching moments to start boys on the right track at a young age (“Why was the queen not in the counting house, counting all her money?); guides readers through talking about sex, urging them to start early to create a sense of openness; and examines such issues as parental guilt and childhood slip-ups: “Teaching a boy to expect to make mistakes and to expect to be held accountable when he makes mistakes is the key. Teaching a boy to be able to laugh at himself... wouldn’t that be such a gift?” Concise to-do lists round out each chapter. At times touching and always impassioned, this is an excellent resource for like-minded parents. Agent: Soumeya Roberts, HG Literary. (Apr.)