Nancy G. (ComfyReader) reviewed The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir on + 330 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8
What began as a book that I had looked forward to reading, quickly turned into a book that I thought would never end.
Like Kenison, I too was having a child go off to college and another starting high school, a job in transition, financial instability, the prospect of selling a home and moving into a new area. I felt that finally, a here is a woman's book that I could relate too. But, unfortunately, this memoir has shown me that no two people live the same life. There was no learning or empathy for what she had gone through. Her bemoaning grew tiresome and quite irritating when she put more pages into a friend with shingles that needed her , which I still question, then into a friends child that was killed. The balance just wasn't in this book.
Though memoirs can be a bit self indulgent, this one rattled on a little too long . What exactly was Kenison trying to convey to the reader. That you too, while living under someone else's roof can send your children to private schools and build the home of your dreams. Sorry, but the oh poor me attitude was totally lost on me.
Like Kenison, I too was having a child go off to college and another starting high school, a job in transition, financial instability, the prospect of selling a home and moving into a new area. I felt that finally, a here is a woman's book that I could relate too. But, unfortunately, this memoir has shown me that no two people live the same life. There was no learning or empathy for what she had gone through. Her bemoaning grew tiresome and quite irritating when she put more pages into a friend with shingles that needed her , which I still question, then into a friends child that was killed. The balance just wasn't in this book.
Though memoirs can be a bit self indulgent, this one rattled on a little too long . What exactly was Kenison trying to convey to the reader. That you too, while living under someone else's roof can send your children to private schools and build the home of your dreams. Sorry, but the oh poor me attitude was totally lost on me.
Helpful Score: 4
I am not really sure how to rate or review this book. The book seems to ramble. At times, it is also a bit preachy. Yet, parts of it and the idea of it really touched my heart. It seems to flow as a "stream of consciousness" from one thing to another. Yet the central ideas of longing and growing are constant. The ideas for me win out and make it a memorable book.
Helpful Score: 2
This book addresses where I am in my life right now which is why I liked it. I don't think that anyone without teen-agers would find it as compelling. Yes, there is all sorts of "smell the flowers" and "don't sweat the small stuff" and "be the journey, not the destination" wisdom in here, but the author is at her best when she wraps those philosophic pieties in her actual experiences.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book very much. The timing was just right for me - she is a woman about to turn 50 and facing letting go of her boys and looking for what brings her joy. Excellent read!
Laura P. (hemmputnam) reviewed The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir on + 1154 more book reviews
This book is a perfect antidote to a culture that encourages 8th graders to start building their resumes for college. Kenison writes about the move from their affluent Boston suburb to rural New Hampshire as she tries to find a high school that is a good fit for her child. Of course all does not go as planned: she loses her job that allowed her to work from home, the "house" she falls in love with has to be demolished and rebuilt, her family lives with her parents for several years, her younger son doesn't want to leave behind all that he loves. And yet, along the way she finds moments of grace, quiet, and thankfulness. An important reminder of how quickly time passes and how grateful we should be for the ordinary days that make up our lives. "Mend the part of the world that is within your reach."
I really liked this book a lot. It arrived at a time when my youngest child had just moved out of his childhood home and I found myself struggling with so many emotions and wondering how I was ever going to say goodbye to a piece of my heart. I don't know if all mother's feel this way about moving on with the next chapter of their lives, but for me, this has been quite a challenge and makes me realize I have a lot to learn about letting go. If you are in a situation such as this with children growing up way too fast, I think you will enjoy reading this book as much as I have.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a memoir of a mother whose 2 boys are entering highschool and college at the same time that she decides that the family needs to live in a more rural area instead of the suburbs.
There are a few themes going on in the book, one is her struggle to assert her own needs and direction in life, even though if affects her whole family greatly. Another theme is her struggle to deal with her children trying to find their independence and becoming moody teenagers. A third theme is things that remind her to be grateful for her life-- such as friends who get sick. She wants to be a good mom, but she also wants to do what she feels pulled to do in her own life. I"m not a mom yet, and I found this struggle interesting and instructive to read about.
Her path is a little bit alternative-- she and her husband sell their suburban house to endure years of transitory time in between houses, and that decision is a little hard to understand. But I guess we all have moments where we wish something was different in our lives and struggle to figure out how to address it. The way she talks about how important the idea of "home" is to her helped me shape what my ideal home would be.
I didn't always identify with her, and I question some of the things that she left out of the book (she hardly ever mentions her husband), yet I really appreciate that she continually tries to grow and remind herself to be thankful for the things that she has every day.
There are a few themes going on in the book, one is her struggle to assert her own needs and direction in life, even though if affects her whole family greatly. Another theme is her struggle to deal with her children trying to find their independence and becoming moody teenagers. A third theme is things that remind her to be grateful for her life-- such as friends who get sick. She wants to be a good mom, but she also wants to do what she feels pulled to do in her own life. I"m not a mom yet, and I found this struggle interesting and instructive to read about.
Her path is a little bit alternative-- she and her husband sell their suburban house to endure years of transitory time in between houses, and that decision is a little hard to understand. But I guess we all have moments where we wish something was different in our lives and struggle to figure out how to address it. The way she talks about how important the idea of "home" is to her helped me shape what my ideal home would be.
I didn't always identify with her, and I question some of the things that she left out of the book (she hardly ever mentions her husband), yet I really appreciate that she continually tries to grow and remind herself to be thankful for the things that she has every day.
