“Mother Hunger”
By Kelly McDaniel
Reviewed for The Circle of Becoming
“It wasn’t your fault. But it is your responsibility to heal.”
Reading Mother Hunger felt like sitting across from a therapist who finally had the words for everything I’ve felt but couldn’t quite explain. Kelly McDaniel gives language to the silent grief so many of us carry—the ache for a mother’s love that never fully arrived. This isn’t just a book. It’s a mirror, a balm, and a reckoning.
McDaniel explores the three pillars of mothering—nurturance, protection, and guidance—and what happens when we grow up without them. She gently guides us through understanding how this unmet need can show up as people-pleasing, anxiety, self-abandonment, toxic relationships, and even addiction. And she doesn’t do it with shame—she does it with compassion.
What I appreciated most is how this book gives permission to feel the hunger without guilt. To stop defending the one who hurt you, and instead, hold space for your wounded self. The little girl who never got what she needed. McDaniel reminds us that unmet needs are not a character flaw—they’re a survival story.
This read is tender, yet triggering. Healing, yet heavy. But it’s the kind of heavy that finally helps you exhale.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re parenting yourself while raising a child… if you’ve ever felt unseen, unheard, or emotionally starved… this book is a powerful place to start reconnecting with your inner child and rewriting your emotional story.
Reader Reflection Prompt:
What part of yourself have you been punishing for simply needing love?
The Circle of Becoming: Self-Discovery •Becoming • Purpose 