Memoir Exposes the Unvarnished Truth of Postpartum Depression

In November 2025, it was announced that Sarah Hoover's memoir "The Motherload: Episodes From the Brink of Motherhood" is in development as a drama series at 20th Television. The series will follow Jennifer, a millennial art dealer, as she navigates the unexpected challenges of motherhood.

Instead of the joyful experience she anticipated, Jennifer finds herself overwhelmed by months of rage, brain fog, and self-medication. She experiences a "total surrender" of her sex life, career, and sense of identity, realizing she must confront her relationship with her own mother and the societal pressures placed on women in order to find fulfillment in parenthood.

Hoover's memoir, which is described as a rejection of the "euphoric narrative of giving birth," aims to provide an unflinchingly honest examination of postpartum depression. The book's publisher notes that it "dares to ask what happens when 'what to expect when you're expecting' turns out to be months of rage, anguish, brain fog, and a total surrender of sex, career, and identity."

The drama series adaptation is being developed with Stuart Zicherman as the showrunner, and Hoover will co-write the pilot with Sas Goldberg, known for her work on "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."