A review by hbkolb
Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman

4.0

If I wasn't already terrified to be a mother, ... oh wait, I was. This book really helps articulate all the extra baggage that comes along with being a mother. And if it wasn't bad enough, no matter how bad of a mom you think you are, other women seem to not have a problem pointing out to you how badly of a job they think you are doing. Awesome. Oh, and Ayelet, I'm so happy you married the your physical, intellectual, emotional, and literary soulmate, but if I have to hear about how perfect your marriage is one more time, I might throw something at you. Thanks. But besides that, the chapter where she opened up about the real heart of the essay collection, the real tension of the piece, which I will refrain from mentioning so not to spoil it for others, it touched me and challenged me to the core. I grappled with questions of grace and eternity and motherhood and identity, and I found a well of compassion I didn't know I could feel for this woman, and I wouldn't have felt for her if I hadn't gotten to know her and like her through her writing. Like the best writers, she held up a mirror to me, and I had to ask myself some difficult questions that I'm still not sure I know how to answer. It was definitely worth reading. It had me laughing out loud and at times almost in tears. If you'll allow me the cliche, #allthefeels.