Book: Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott

My mother recently gave me the gift of the book Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott, as I recently became a mother to my son!   I highly recommend this book to any new mother.   I could completely relate to Lamott when she wrote of all her worries regarding her skills as a mother and her son's development.  Furthermore, she writes a lot about her faith, which is completely approachable and without piety.  

Even better, Lamott struggles as a mother.  She is a recovering addict of alcohol and drugs with some hints of psychosis, as well as a single mother with no help from the father.   She writes bluntly about her feelings towards the baby, even reflecting on the resentfulness and anger that comes with being around a newborn 24 hours a day.  These are raw, true emotions that often aren't allowed to be expressed in our culture.  Hearing her say the things I did not allow myself to think was refreshing.  And at sometimes there was a sense of shadenfreude where I gathered strength knowing I was doing better than Lamott (mostly thanks to the sanity of my husband). 

I loved this book, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that we were living the same life as new mothers with beautiful baby boys.   However, I think readers who were not in our same situation would also find this read enjoyable.  Lamott is a critically praised writer who sucks you in with her honest and witty language.