Description
Book SynopsisAward-winning journalist Jennifer Senior tries to tackle the issue of the effects of children on their parents, isolating and analyzing the many ways in which children reshape their parents'' lives, whether it''s their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half-century have radically altered the roles of today''s mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear.
Recruiting from a wide variety of sources - in history, sociology, economics, psychology, philosophy, and anthropology - she dissects both the timeless strains of parenting and the ones that are brand new, and then brings her research to life in the homes of ordinary parents around the country. The result is an unforgettable series of family portraits, starting with parents of young children and progressing to parents of teens. Through lively and accessible storytelling, Senior follo
Trade Review
Salted with insights and epigrams, the book is argued with bracing honesty and flashes of authentic wisdom . . . [an] excellent book * New York Times Book Review *
[An] astute book . . . clear and helpful . . . refreshing . . . an eye opening debut, and it will help a lot of parents feel less alone, if not less frazzled * New York Times *
A quick, lively read . . . [Senior's] carefully observed case studies of modern families read like scenes from novels * San Francisco Chronicle *
A richly woven, entertaining, enlightening, wrenching and funny book * Washington Post *
Senior's wise compassion provides guidance that's both necessary and inspiring * Boston Globe *
The hit of the season . . . Every few pages, there's another terrifyingly believable research finding * Sydney Morning Herald *
