Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Book Review: Mother on Fire

I literally laughed out loud when reading this book. Granted, I am in the key demographic of readers who would like this book - mothers of young children. Sandra Tsing Loh - whose work I love from the Low Life on our local NPR station - looks at the choices for her children's education and the streses that it causes for many parents. But in a very funny way. Here is a little taste of Ms. Loh's writings:

[Ms. Loh is describing her neighborhood and looking back on when she and her husband were purchasing their home - pre-kids.]

"No, us, we failed to vet our neighborhood. We paid little attention as to whether we were doing the smart thing - moving to a good school district, next to lawyers or bankers or periodontal surgeons. Idiots, we would have insisted on NOT living next to such bourgeois sellouts! Oh, how we laughed and partied on this sagging deck, with its Chinese paper lanterns and Miles Davis records and Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe's.

We were completely unaware that we were living in a public-school MINEFIELD, our Van Nuys neighborhood a mishmash of apartement-dwelling immigants and a few unemployed actors who, as soon as they have babies, are now, I am suddenly noticing . . .

Moving to Dallas. Moving to North Carolina. Moving to . . ."


For all moms out there wondering what to do about their kids education - this book lets you know that you are not alone and provides some laughter in the process. Enjoy!

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