Leaving the Ladder Down: How to Combine Career and Motherhood, from the Women Who’Ve Done it

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Dolly Jones

Leaving the Ladder Down

Name: Leaving the Ladder Down
Price: 24.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9780008431426

How to Combine Career and Motherhood, from the Women Who’Ve Done it

Dolly Jones

$24.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

Fourth Estate Ltd
09 April 2026

Memoirs; Careers guidance; Advice on parenting; Child care & upbringing; Self-help & personal development

A funny, practical and crucial guide for women facing the life-changing prospect of returning to work after having children.

When Dolly had her children, the idea of returning to the fast-paced, all-consuming job she had previously loved felt daunting, if not impossible. Despite it being the experience of so many millions of women, she struggled to find material to galvanise and reassure her, and to make her feel that anything was possible.

In this book, Dolly aims to change all of that. Interweaving practical advice and her own personal experiences with anecdotes, life-hacks and guilt-avoidance strategies from a diverse range of women – from fashion designers to taxi drivers, journalists to actors, lawyers to doctors, bankers, entrepreneurs and restaurateurs – Leaving the Ladder Down is a gift for the next generation of women taking on the trials, challenges and general amusement involved in combining work and motherhood.

Equally empowering and accessible, and featuring serious advice from employers, employment lawyers and health specialists to boost knowledge and confidence, this book acts as a ‘ladder down’ to the next generation of working women, from a generation who have experimented their way to making it work.

By: Dolly Jones
Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 26mm
Weight: 260g
ISBN: 9780008431426
ISBN 10: 0008431426
Pages: 382
Publication Date: 09 April 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Dolly Jones is a journalist and creative digital consultant with over twenty years of experience. She started her career at British Vogue doing work experience in 1999, before going on to lead its digital operations for fifteen years. She has worked and written extensively across Conde Nast's full portfolio, including publications such as Vanity Fair, GQ and Tatler. Having left Conde Nast in 2018, Dolly now works as a digital consultant, a school governor and a trustee of Advance, a charity that supports women and young people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. She lives in London with her husband and two children. This her first book.

Reviews for Leaving the Ladder Down: How to Combine Career and Motherhood, from the Women Who’Ve Done it

‘What a joyous, encouraging, uplifting read! If you have ever felt the weight of navigating the stormy sea of the working mother alone, or wondered how you might make a difference to another woman’s journey, this book is a must-read of relatable, at times hilarious, anecdotes and coping strategies that light the way’ Allison Hunter, KC