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The book is positive, sweet and reminding me of scrapbooking without the photos and geegahs
had a chance to read a couple of books in the past week. A rarity and I am not sure how it happened but it did.
The first book was “Wiped: Life with a Pint Sized Dictator” by Rebecca Eckler. She describes, in diary form, life with her new baby up to when the baby turns 2. First of all I was jealous when I read that Canadian women get a year for maternity leave! WOW! That was actually the high point of the book. I had bought it intending to send it to my sister-in-law who is due in September. No way. I kept waiting for the joy and wonderment of motherhood. All I kept reading about was a self-centered new mother who could barely cope even though she had a nanny and in-laws living close by to help with the baby. I did sympathize with her postpartum depression. I just got tired of reading about a whiny, insecure woman who does not seem to appreciate that she has the finer things in life. If I were her fiance I would have taken the baby and ditched her by now because she is annoying. She seemed so disinterested in her child that it reminded me of Paris Hilton and her dog, a mere accessory. I kept thinking it might get funny and witty but no. The only funny thing was how much money they spend, a bugaboo stroller, an extended get-away to Maui, four portable DVD players and a $400 denim skirt for the baby from Paris. Do not waste your time with this book unless you think the world revolves around you and money.
The second book “Love, Mommy” by Judy Siblin Librach, another Canadian, is about writing letters to your child. Letters to be put away for them to read when they get older. I like this idea. Being a third child, my growing us was not as well-documented as my older sisters. I loved hearing stories about when I was a baby. She suggests writing the letters as they grow rather than waiting. As disconnected as Eckler was, Librach seems over-the-top involved and fawning. The book got a bit goey with sentiment, and I had to stop after awhile because the letters were starting to get wordy and sounded like Hallmark greeting cards, not the funny ones. She offers suggestions for writing the letters, which might be helpful to folks without experience. The book is positive, sweet and reminding me of scrapbooking without the photos and geegahs.
So two Canadian authors with completely different outlooks on motherhood. I am glad I read Eckler’s before I sent it off, and I might pass along Librach’s instead. Not that any of us have coherent time to document the moments of our babies growth but the idea is good.
Have you read anything by Eckler or Librach? Tell us what you thought.
