Book

My book, "Maxed Out: American Moms on the Brink" was published in 2013. It tells the story of my experience burning out at work when my three kids were little. It attracted rave reviews, and won an IndieFab Book of the Year award in 2014.

"A BRAVE, OFTEN FUNNY, UNBELIEVABLY TIMELY, CONVERSATION-SPARKING TALE ABOUT MOTHERHOOD AND WORK"

Seal Press/The Perseus Books Group

(now Hachette)

Buy Maxed Out

Praise for "Maxed Out..."

"A deeply important story told by a highly gifted writer. So many working mothers are living in 'emotional debt' . . . this book is bound to strike a chord."

—Arlie Hochschild, author of The Second Shift

“…the book is a brave admission that we are not all successfully managing our overbooked lives, and should not feel alone. On the whole, the book provides a powerful reminder that even well-to-do mothers do not thrive in our current system, that having a positive attitude, leaning in, or opting out aren’t viable choices for many women, and that other countries (such as Denmark and Sweden) serve working mothers more effectively.”

—Publishers Weekly

“…her plight will resonate with anyone who’s ever struggled to manage both work and family life. Interspersed among her personal stories are reported essays arguing that—regardless of the ongoing debate about “opting out” or “leaning in”—for many American moms, there are just no good choices, period.”

—Parade Magazine

"Alcorn tells a gripping story of how the demands of work and parenting sent her over the edge. She brilliantly connects her experience with key changes we must make to end the insanity and make work fit our lives.”

--Joan Blades, author of The Motherhood Manifesto and co-founder of MomsRising.org

About "Maxed Out"

Mothers are breadwinners in two-thirds of American families, yet the American workplace is uniquely hostile to the needs of parents. Weaving in surprising research about the dysfunction between work and home, as well as the consequences to women’s health, Katrina Alcorn tells a deeply personal story about “having it all,” failing miserably, and what comes after—and offers readers a vision for a healthier, happier, and more productive way to work and live.

Maxed Out has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times - Motherlode, MSNBC's The Cycle, TODAY.com, CSPAN BookTV, and many other magazines, newspapers, and radio shows in the U.S., Canada, the U.K, Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, and Italy. The book was selected by Parade.com as an August Pick for Parents, by Barnes & Noble as a Modern Mom Must-Read, and by Parents.com as a Must Read for Moms. Maxed Out won an IndieFab award for best books of 2013 in the Women's Studies category.