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Title: I Don't Know How She Does It : The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother by Allison Pearson, Emma Fielding ISBN: 0-7393-0172-1 Publisher: Random House Audio Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 Format: Audio CD Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.8 (241 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: So funny, I laughed out loud. So dead-on, I cried.
Comment: When I started reading this book, it took me a while to "get into it," mostly because I was disappointed that it was written from a British perspective. I want the exact same book, rewritten from an American mom's perspective. Don't get me wrong, I loved it. It's just that I couldn't always relate to nannies, nappies, wellies, and other brit terms that didn't jive with my Midwestern upbringing.
ANYWAY, the book itself was a masterpiece of modern mommy angst. As working women, we kill ourselves to make our lives better for our children, yet in the process, we're robbed of the things we hold most dear: time and memories.
I read till 1am last night, putting aside baths, books, and backpack prep, just to find out what Kate Reddy did in the end. Would she choose work? Or would she choose mommydom? I just wanted THE ANSWER to make my own life easier. I found out, there is no easy answer. Kate's choice wouldn't work for me, but at least she got me dreaming about the possibilities.
Rating: 5
Summary: A thoroughly examined life
Comment: As almost everyone knows by now, this book is a diary of Kate Reddy, who holds down a power job in London while trying to have a life. The writing is magnificent: lots of little gems, some of which might get censored in an online review. Don't miss her description of hanging out in the kitchen with her inlaws at Christmas.
This book can be read on several levels. I must admit I was exhausted at first, just reading about Kate's efforts to juggle her life. Being single and childless, I can only admire the fortitude of working mothers who really do try to "do everything." And I was disappointed in the ending, where Kate does seem to walk away from a part of herself.
I couldn't help wishing this couple would go to marriage counseling! Kate and her husband seem to have different values and her abrasiveness can be annoying, even to the reader who is rooting for her. Marriages like this one -- very strong wife, kind supportive husband -- ususally do not last without outside help.
I also wanted to encourage Kate to hire a coach to help her set priorities and develop somem assertiveness. Her friend and colleague at work, Candy, even teases her about being too quick to say yes and to accept tough jobs with no compensation. When Kate says, "Nobody got bonuses," Candy says, "And you believe that?" Either Candy is a saboteur rather than a true friend, or Kate has contributed to her own powerlessness.
While some women (and men) will be appalled at the crudity of Kate's boss, I think the author is just being realistic. The securities industry was always known for its machismo, as described in Michael Lewis's Liar's Poker. A senior woman like Kate will have less access to legalistic harassment remedies than a clerk-typist -- and Kate makes this point herself. She has to choose: a job or a lawsuit. The fact that her boss is an Australian adds to the realism: the author understands the male-female dynamic of "down under."
Even if you get frustrated, it will be hard to stop turning the pages. There is suspense created by the author ("How will Kate get out of this mess?") but, more important, the underlying theme: How much of Kate's stress is created by her dual roles -- and how much by her own assertiveness and coping skills?
Rating: 5
Summary: A Damn Good Read
Comment: I heard that Nicol Kidman was going to be staring in a film version. Well read the book anyway. I read this entire book on a flight from New York to Los Angeles. I could not put it down. I love the author's honest inner struggles. This is a great example of the new cold war, working moms vs. non working moms. Perhaps if we had affordable and quality childcare in this country women would not be faced with these issues. Perhaps if Corporate America really cared about family values the we would be facing these issues. But until then I say this book is a good start. Art imitates life and it surely does in this book.
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Title: The Nanny Diaries: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus ISBN: 0312291639 Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Pub. Date: 18 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Bitch in the House : 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage by Cathi Hanauer ISBN: 0066211662 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 17 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: The Devil Wears Prada : A Novel by LAUREN WEISBERGER ISBN: 038550926X Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 15 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: In Her Shoes : A Novel by Jennifer Weiner ISBN: 0743418204 Publisher: Washington Square Press Pub. Date: 08 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Three Junes by JULIA GLASS ISBN: 0385721420 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 22 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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