Best beach reads 2005

The Bad Mother's Handbook
(Viking HC CA, 2005)
By Kate Long

Contrary to what the title of this book may lead you to believe, The Bad Mother's Handbook isn't filled with scandalous episodes of horrendous parenting. It's about ordinary women who are simply doing their best to meet life's demands. Although they may not know it, they're united by the universal question: am I a good mother?

Told from the viewpoints of 17-year-old Charlotte, her mother Karen, 33, and Nana, 81, this book offers varying perspectives from women who encounter three very different experiences in their day-to-day lives. Charlotte gets pregnant and struggles with a range of issues as her life changes, while Karen is consumed by her roles as mother and caregiver, fighting to remain in control. Nana longs for peace while her dementia has the family guessing when she's talking nonsense and when she may, in fact, be more coherent than they know.

The Bad Mother's Handbook is sure to resonate with readers of all ages. For daughters who, at some point, have longed to be part of a more "normal" family and for mothers who have ever felt that no matter how much they try, their best is simply not good enough -- this book allows you to walk in someone else's shoes, be it your mom's pumps or your daughter's sneakers.