PositiveLambda LiteraryBelc breaks from conventional memoir formulas into non-linear narratives, plural and second-person addresses, and forms that resemble lists, as if to show that memoirs, like families, do not have to be structured a certain way just because the establishment deems it so. The second-person addresses are at times written to Belc’s partner Anna, at times to his gestational child Samson, and at times to his own mother. Sometimes, it seems Belc is writing to himself, contemplating, for example, his unwanted breasts, those same organs he uses to nourish Samson ... At times, Belc’s braiding of research with personal narrative is reminiscent of Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts ... As a transfeminine person who is also navigating the impact of my gender identity on my roles as partner and parent in the eyes of society, for me, The Natural Mother’s inviting reading experience was largely rooted in feeling seen… I could not put the book down. At the same time, I find myself highly recommending the book to anyone whose identity has not been in dramatic conflict with organized society in the ways Belc’s has. Belc’s memoir places issues that are “out of sight, out of mind” for most front and center, providing a snapshot of where we are as a society, and just how far we still have to go to achieve greater inclusivity for all.