This book delves into various aspects of the author's life.

It is somewhat about her son's first year, with descriptions of his new skills each week, which I found interesting as I thought this would be the main focus.

However, it also contains a lot about the author's addiction issues, her longing for her deceased father, and her anger towards the father of her child for not being involved in their son's life.

There are also passages about her sick friend.

The author comes across as contradictory. For example, she laments not dating a man because he doesn't like performing oral sex, yet gets offended when some guys talk about a girl's good oral sex.

She also gets offended when people ask about the child's father, which seems like a reasonable question.

Moreover, she insists that her new neighbor take down their wind chime because it distracts her from writing, even though she has a screaming infant who is likely much more disruptive.

The author seems flighty and self-centered.

Finally, if the father of her son filed paperwork claiming the boy wasn't his because he said he never had sex with her, it seems strange that she didn't get a DNA test done, especially since the book came out in the 90s.

Overall, the book has its interesting moments but also leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the author's character and decision-making.

I've read a significant number of Anne's books by now, and without a doubt, I can state that this one is my absolute favorite. I began reading it at a most opportune time. You see, I myself was a first-time mom, confined at home with a 5-week-old child. (And I'm currently typing this review one-handed while said child peacefully sleeps in my other arm.)

This is precisely why I fell head over heels in love with so many of Anne's uproariously hilarious recollections of her experiences in the trenches of new motherhood. Take, for instance, her description of her son's colic at the one-month mark: "The exhaustion, the sleep deprivation, make me feel like I'm in the bamboo cage under cold water in The Deer Hunter. I don't mean to be overly dramatic, but this must be what it feels like to be a crack baby. It's a little like PMS on mild psychedelics."

Her words had me laughing out loud. And based on what she shares about the joyous milestones of her son's first year, I'm filled with hope and anticipation for all the similar rewards that are sure to come in my own son's new life.

This book should be mandatory reading for all new moms, especially once that third week arrives, and the reality of just how much your life has been transformed by this new little person sets in.

I particularly adored this line: “One thing about having a baby is that each step of the way you simply cannot imagine loving him any more than you already do, because you are bursting with love, loving as much as you are humanly capable of - and then you do, you love him even more.” It truly captures the essence of the boundless love that a mother feels for her child.

It's really reassuring to know that it won't be strange to have those moments where I feel like I want to throw the baby out the window. We all have those crazy and overwhelming times, and it's nice to know that others can relate. Although I wished she'd left out her politics, it didn't actually detract from the humor and relatability for me. The way she described her experiences and emotions was so vivid and honest that it made me laugh out loud and nod in agreement. It's refreshing to read something that doesn't sugarcoat the reality of motherhood and instead embraces the chaos and hilarity that comes with it. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work and sharing in her adventures as a mom.

Wonderful.

This was the absolute perfect thing to read during this particular stage of my son's life.

I truly adored how Lamott was so open and brutally honest about the arduous yet incredibly wonderful journey of raising a baby.

Moreover, I was thoroughly charmed by the humor with which she managed to handle every single aspect of it.

She does indeed take the time to reflect on her life as a Christian and her relationship with God. However, it didn't strike me as being overly preachy or filled with too much of that woo-woo stuff.

But then again, I still more or less identify as a Christian on most days, so your mileage may vary.

I practically highlighted every other line in this book because so much of it resonated with me on an array of different levels.

It was as if Lamott had peered into my soul and put into words all the thoughts and feelings that I had been experiencing but couldn't quite express.

It was a truly remarkable and eye-opening read.