Lucy Jones

Becoming a mother changes you in ways that are far deeper than most people ever explain. But what if this transformation were understood not simply as a life event, but as a profound biological, psychological, and social metamorphosis? In Matrescence, journalist Lucy Jones explores the extraordinary transition into motherhood, drawing parallels with adolescence. Through neuroscience, evolutionary biology, psychology, and sociology, she investigates how pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood reshape the brain, body, emotions, and sense of identity. Blending scientific research with her own experiences of motherhood, Jones challenges the idealised image of maternal bliss. She examines exhaustion, ambivalence, identity loss, and the immense pressures placed on mothers by a society that often undervalues caregiving while expecting women to do it all. Both deeply personal and scientifically informed, Matrescence offers a new language for understanding the transformation of becoming a parent. It asks why such a universal experience has been so overlooked—and what might change if motherhood were better understood, supported, and valued. The book was longlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.