A book by
Anne Lamott about her son's first year of life. She is the sole breadwinner and a recovering
alcoholic and
addict. The book is an incredibly honest account and not only reveals the glowy loving side of
motherhood:
"Sam's so beautiful and I feel such a desperate love and protectiveness that my chest tightens with it." - September 19
but also the dark frustrating side:
"I totally understand child abuse now. I really do. He was really sobbing and the gas pain was obviously unbearable, and I felt helpless and in a rage and so tired and fucked up that I felt I should be in a home." - October 6
It is a gritty, honest book. Lamott has so many seemingly unsurmountable forces working against her being a good mother, but she is helped by a small community of friends surrounding her with love and support.
During the course of the journal, one of her closest friends was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. The book not only gave Lamott an opportunity to write for her son, but also it is a kind of elegy to her friend:
"I can't remember her ever having been so entirely happy. For twenty-five years now we have been so black-humored and cynical. There wasn't any of that today. It was so clean and bright, like all the dross had been scoured off..." "...'Today I don't really care what happens,' she said 'I'm just so glad to be here for this.'" - July 29