In ‘Sleep,’ Honor Jones examines the paradox of parenthood

Honor Jones’ debut novel, “Sleep,” begins in the damp undergrowth of a blackberry bush, where main character Margaret is playing a game. It’s a quintessential childhood moment that ends with trauma that marks her forever.

But like many kids, Margaret doesn’t quite know how to hold this painful thing, and the adults in her life are no help. So she stuffs it and believes it will stay buried, where it can harm no one.

And then she becomes a mother.

Jones asks many psychological questions in “Sleep.” Maybe the most poignant: How does a parent keep their own trauma from hurting their kids? How do you raise a child to be safe without infecting them with a sense of fear?

This week, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, Jones joins host Kerri Miller to talk about that, as well as the power of secrets, the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and the tenuous balance between protection and hypervigilance.

Guest:

• Honor Jones is a senior editor at The Atlantic and a writer. Her debut novel, “Sleep,” was named “one of the best summer reads of 2025” by the Oprah Book Club.

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