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It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs
An Instant New York Times Bestseller
“This voice-driven, relatable, heartfelt and emotional story will make any parent tear up.�
—Good Morning America, �15 Delightful Books Perfect for Spring Reading�
Operating Instructions meets Glennon Doyle in this new book by famed NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly that is destined to become a classic—about the year before her son goes to college—and the joys, losses and surprises that happen along the way.
The time for do-overs is over.
Ever since she became a parent, Mary Louise Kelly has said “next year.� Next year will be the year she makes it to her son James’s soccer games (which are on weekdays at 4 p.m., right when she is on the air on NPR’s All Things Considered, talking to millions of listeners). Drive carpool for her son Alexander? Not if she wants to do that story about Ukraine and interview the secretary of state. Like millions of parents who wrestle with raising children while pursuing a career, she has never been cavalier about these decisions. The bargain she has always made with herself is this: this time I’ll get on the plane, and next year I’ll find a way to be there for the mom stuff.
Well, James and Alexander are now seventeen and fifteen, and a realization has overtaken Mary Louise: her older son will be leaving soon for college. There used to be years to make good on her promises; now, there are months, weeks, minutes. And with the devastating death of her beloved father, Mary Louise is facing act three of her life head-on.
Mary Louise is coming to grips with the reality every parent faces. Childhood has a definite expiration date. You have only so many years with your kids before they leave your house to build their own lives. It’s what every parent is supposed to want, what they raise their children to do. But it is bittersweet. Mary Louise is also dealing with the realities of having aging parents. This pivotal time brings with it the enormous questions of what you did right and what you did wrong.
This chronicle of her eldest child’s final year at home, of losing her father, as well as other curve balls thrown at her, is not a definitive answer―not for herself and certainly not for any other parent. But her questions, her issues, will resonate with every parent. And, yes, especially with mothers, who are judged more harshly by society and, more important, judge themselves more harshly. What would she do if she had to decide all over again?
Mary Louise’s thoughts as she faces the coming year will speak to anyone who has ever cared about a child or a parent. It. Goes. So. Fast. is honest, funny, poignant, revelatory, and immensely relatable.
“This voice-driven, relatable, heartfelt and emotional story will make any parent tear up.�
—Good Morning America, �15 Delightful Books Perfect for Spring Reading�
Operating Instructions meets Glennon Doyle in this new book by famed NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly that is destined to become a classic—about the year before her son goes to college—and the joys, losses and surprises that happen along the way.
The time for do-overs is over.
Ever since she became a parent, Mary Louise Kelly has said “next year.� Next year will be the year she makes it to her son James’s soccer games (which are on weekdays at 4 p.m., right when she is on the air on NPR’s All Things Considered, talking to millions of listeners). Drive carpool for her son Alexander? Not if she wants to do that story about Ukraine and interview the secretary of state. Like millions of parents who wrestle with raising children while pursuing a career, she has never been cavalier about these decisions. The bargain she has always made with herself is this: this time I’ll get on the plane, and next year I’ll find a way to be there for the mom stuff.
Well, James and Alexander are now seventeen and fifteen, and a realization has overtaken Mary Louise: her older son will be leaving soon for college. There used to be years to make good on her promises; now, there are months, weeks, minutes. And with the devastating death of her beloved father, Mary Louise is facing act three of her life head-on.
Mary Louise is coming to grips with the reality every parent faces. Childhood has a definite expiration date. You have only so many years with your kids before they leave your house to build their own lives. It’s what every parent is supposed to want, what they raise their children to do. But it is bittersweet. Mary Louise is also dealing with the realities of having aging parents. This pivotal time brings with it the enormous questions of what you did right and what you did wrong.
This chronicle of her eldest child’s final year at home, of losing her father, as well as other curve balls thrown at her, is not a definitive answer―not for herself and certainly not for any other parent. But her questions, her issues, will resonate with every parent. And, yes, especially with mothers, who are judged more harshly by society and, more important, judge themselves more harshly. What would she do if she had to decide all over again?
Mary Louise’s thoughts as she faces the coming year will speak to anyone who has ever cared about a child or a parent. It. Goes. So. Fast. is honest, funny, poignant, revelatory, and immensely relatable.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2023
787 people are currently reading
33.2k people want to read
About the author
Mary Louise Kelly
16Ìýbooks453ÌýfollowersMary Louise Kelly spent two decades traveling the world as a reporter for NPR and the BBC. Her assignments have taken her from grimy Belfast bars to the glittering ports of the Persian Gulf, and from mosques in Hamburg to the ruined deserts of Iraq. As an NPR correspondent covering the spy beat and the Pentagon, she reported on wars, terrorism, and rising nuclear powers. A Georgia native, her first job was working as a staff writer at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kelly was educated at Harvard University and at Cambridge University in England. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,508 reviews
November 13, 2022
I felt like the author couldn’t decide what this book was going to be about.
April 26, 2023
I always feel guilty somehow when I write a critical review of a memoir. I can’t imagine what it’s like to pour your guts out onto the page and have it available for anyone and everyone to read. Especially the people closest to you.
I really valued the premise of this memoir. A brilliant journalist, this author frames the discussion about her own life within the guise of her son’s last year of high school.
As a working mother with a demanding job that takes her literally around the world at a moment’s notice, she has struggled to always be present in both worlds that fill her cup- family and work.
I wish she had focused more on her job and how her family fit around it than the other way around. It seemed like she was stretching for content at times about her life at home and the words about her boys became redundant and trite. In some instances it was hard to truly feel her tensions around those work/family discussions as she seemed to be blind to her own privilege.
The richness of her storytelling ability is always evident when she was talking about her work and giving us behind the scenes insight and access to what it means to report from a war zone, and I particularly enjoyed when she talked about the ways NPR adapted during the pandemic.
As she is a radio journalist I listened on audio.
I really valued the premise of this memoir. A brilliant journalist, this author frames the discussion about her own life within the guise of her son’s last year of high school.
As a working mother with a demanding job that takes her literally around the world at a moment’s notice, she has struggled to always be present in both worlds that fill her cup- family and work.
I wish she had focused more on her job and how her family fit around it than the other way around. It seemed like she was stretching for content at times about her life at home and the words about her boys became redundant and trite. In some instances it was hard to truly feel her tensions around those work/family discussions as she seemed to be blind to her own privilege.
The richness of her storytelling ability is always evident when she was talking about her work and giving us behind the scenes insight and access to what it means to report from a war zone, and I particularly enjoyed when she talked about the ways NPR adapted during the pandemic.
As she is a radio journalist I listened on audio.
February 26, 2023
I don’t have the words to describe how much I loved this book. It now falls in the top 10 category of best books I’ve ever read.
Admittedly, I was the perfect candidate for an advanced copy because, hello, I’m the target audience; a working mom, and a long time NPR fan and supporter. I listened to Mary Louise Kelly on NPR heard her voice in my head as I read the book. I remember her reporting the events live that she discusses. I so enjoyed reading her words, with her opinions, and hearing the real story of what took place, tying it all together with lessons in what really matters: family and the love for her sons.
I’m not going to summarize the book; you can easily read the summary that was intended for audiences without me doing that. I want to tell you what I loved. And because it’s an advanced copy, one is not allowed to quote the book without express written permission, so without quoting it, (which I really want to do) here are some of my favorite and/or most moving parts:
When reading Alexander’s birth story and the papers from the hospital� I teared up. My heart felt so heavy. I get goosebumps thinking about it, having experienced a traumatic birth myself, she wrote about it in a way that resonates and you cannot explain. Big, big feels here.
We will not be intimidated. I loved this chapter. This is where the book really picked up for me and became an “oh no, I can’t stop reading this!� book. I remember hearing about this interview with former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and listening to the parts that aired, when it aired, but LOVED reading it in her words.
I gasped out loud SEVERAL times and read with one hand over my wide-open mouth; I was in a public place and people were staring.
When she compared him to a toddler throwing a tantrum, I nodded in emphatic agreement. The whole situation was unreal, I so enjoyed her perspective. We tend to forget the reality that was that time period (blocking it out, perhaps?) this was a reminder. What an experience, one that she handled gracefully.
The response when Alex went headfirst into a kid picking on his brother? Priceless and perfect. Could not have reacted better, bravo, I genuinely laughed out loud!
I love that she shares writing with her son. I, someday, hope to share writing and running (and reading) with my daughter. I read this part in earnest.
On p 107, after her son’s team won the cup and she was talking to her mother, more tears. My heart felt big.
I read the Two Walks chapter with tears streaming down my face that didn’t stop until I read the last sentence of the book, moments ago.
I am verklempt.
Admittedly, I was the perfect candidate for an advanced copy because, hello, I’m the target audience; a working mom, and a long time NPR fan and supporter. I listened to Mary Louise Kelly on NPR heard her voice in my head as I read the book. I remember her reporting the events live that she discusses. I so enjoyed reading her words, with her opinions, and hearing the real story of what took place, tying it all together with lessons in what really matters: family and the love for her sons.
I’m not going to summarize the book; you can easily read the summary that was intended for audiences without me doing that. I want to tell you what I loved. And because it’s an advanced copy, one is not allowed to quote the book without express written permission, so without quoting it, (which I really want to do) here are some of my favorite and/or most moving parts:
When reading Alexander’s birth story and the papers from the hospital� I teared up. My heart felt so heavy. I get goosebumps thinking about it, having experienced a traumatic birth myself, she wrote about it in a way that resonates and you cannot explain. Big, big feels here.
We will not be intimidated. I loved this chapter. This is where the book really picked up for me and became an “oh no, I can’t stop reading this!� book. I remember hearing about this interview with former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and listening to the parts that aired, when it aired, but LOVED reading it in her words.
I gasped out loud SEVERAL times and read with one hand over my wide-open mouth; I was in a public place and people were staring.
When she compared him to a toddler throwing a tantrum, I nodded in emphatic agreement. The whole situation was unreal, I so enjoyed her perspective. We tend to forget the reality that was that time period (blocking it out, perhaps?) this was a reminder. What an experience, one that she handled gracefully.
The response when Alex went headfirst into a kid picking on his brother? Priceless and perfect. Could not have reacted better, bravo, I genuinely laughed out loud!
I love that she shares writing with her son. I, someday, hope to share writing and running (and reading) with my daughter. I read this part in earnest.
On p 107, after her son’s team won the cup and she was talking to her mother, more tears. My heart felt big.
I read the Two Walks chapter with tears streaming down my face that didn’t stop until I read the last sentence of the book, moments ago.
I am verklempt.
June 30, 2024
Oh boy. I have opinions about this one.
First off� The good: It’s a quick and easy read, and Mary Louise Kelly is a good writer and storyteller.
But, that’s about as far as it goes. The premise of the book is how she is focusing on the last year of having both her sons at home before the oldest goes off to college� A reflection of the difficulties in her life trying to strike a guilt-free work/life balance, the death of her father, her divorce (which perhaps tellingly gets little mention after twenty-five years of marriage), her mothers failing health. The problem is, even though she WANTS to be there for all these moments of her sons lives, and even though she is going to write a book about it, the fact of the matter is she CAN’T do it. And she can’t forgive herself for the guilt that comes with that.
It’s pretty obvious she is very career motivated. It feels like there are more stories in the book about NPR than there are about her sons. There are plenty of stories about trips away from home, both for work and pleasure, that don’t include her kids (including a trip where her son doesn’t even realize she’s been gone for three days). The fact is, if she were a man her career-first mentality would be a non-issue. And it should be okay FOR ANYBODY. But as a progressive woman I think she struggles to come to terms with the guilt she feels.
There is one particular moment that seems to sum it all up: She has writers block, so in an attempt to get words on paper, she heads off to the family vacation home in Nantucket (aside: the white privilege aspect of this book is just completely off the charts� More on that in a bit�). Nantucket is, even on a good day, a difficult place to travel to or get out from. But she has made some travel plans to get back, just in time, to Washington in time to see perhaps the most important game of her sons soccer career. Long story short, she misses the game. What goes unspoken is the self-sabotaging. The cynic in me wonders if the missed game makes for a bigger word count for the book, or a more interesting chapter. She could have easily booked a hotel room or vacation home in the DC area that was a mere drive from home� Something far less precarious than an island hundreds of miles away with a tight “just in time� travel schedule. But� No. That would not have been as interesting. Is she a narcissist? Yeah probably.
I think Kelly is attempting her own version of Ann Patchett’s “These Precious Days� (which she cites specifically) but it comes up woefully short in terms of it’s warmth and introspection. I think in part because she isn’t being honest with the reader (or maybe herself) in the same way Patchett is. I would love to get an alternate viewpoint on the author during this particular year, to filter the story through a set of differently biased eyes. A friend, a neighbor, a coworker, her kids.
Okay, the white privilege. This book does nothing to dissuade Trump supporters they aren’t onto something when they talk about life “inside the beltway� or “east coast elites� because this book confirms virtually every stereotype that gets trotted out on Fox News. Harvard education? Check! Elite private schools for the kids? Check! Vacations all around the world? Check! Housekeeper? Check! Oh, yeah, and that vacation home on Nantucket. Oh boy.
So� For me a good rage read. I wish Kelly could forgive herself and just own her priorities, slings and arrows be damned. But she can’t. She loves her job. She loves her kids. Something’s gotta give, and it’s okay.
First off� The good: It’s a quick and easy read, and Mary Louise Kelly is a good writer and storyteller.
But, that’s about as far as it goes. The premise of the book is how she is focusing on the last year of having both her sons at home before the oldest goes off to college� A reflection of the difficulties in her life trying to strike a guilt-free work/life balance, the death of her father, her divorce (which perhaps tellingly gets little mention after twenty-five years of marriage), her mothers failing health. The problem is, even though she WANTS to be there for all these moments of her sons lives, and even though she is going to write a book about it, the fact of the matter is she CAN’T do it. And she can’t forgive herself for the guilt that comes with that.
It’s pretty obvious she is very career motivated. It feels like there are more stories in the book about NPR than there are about her sons. There are plenty of stories about trips away from home, both for work and pleasure, that don’t include her kids (including a trip where her son doesn’t even realize she’s been gone for three days). The fact is, if she were a man her career-first mentality would be a non-issue. And it should be okay FOR ANYBODY. But as a progressive woman I think she struggles to come to terms with the guilt she feels.
There is one particular moment that seems to sum it all up: She has writers block, so in an attempt to get words on paper, she heads off to the family vacation home in Nantucket (aside: the white privilege aspect of this book is just completely off the charts� More on that in a bit�). Nantucket is, even on a good day, a difficult place to travel to or get out from. But she has made some travel plans to get back, just in time, to Washington in time to see perhaps the most important game of her sons soccer career. Long story short, she misses the game. What goes unspoken is the self-sabotaging. The cynic in me wonders if the missed game makes for a bigger word count for the book, or a more interesting chapter. She could have easily booked a hotel room or vacation home in the DC area that was a mere drive from home� Something far less precarious than an island hundreds of miles away with a tight “just in time� travel schedule. But� No. That would not have been as interesting. Is she a narcissist? Yeah probably.
I think Kelly is attempting her own version of Ann Patchett’s “These Precious Days� (which she cites specifically) but it comes up woefully short in terms of it’s warmth and introspection. I think in part because she isn’t being honest with the reader (or maybe herself) in the same way Patchett is. I would love to get an alternate viewpoint on the author during this particular year, to filter the story through a set of differently biased eyes. A friend, a neighbor, a coworker, her kids.
Okay, the white privilege. This book does nothing to dissuade Trump supporters they aren’t onto something when they talk about life “inside the beltway� or “east coast elites� because this book confirms virtually every stereotype that gets trotted out on Fox News. Harvard education? Check! Elite private schools for the kids? Check! Vacations all around the world? Check! Housekeeper? Check! Oh, yeah, and that vacation home on Nantucket. Oh boy.
So� For me a good rage read. I wish Kelly could forgive herself and just own her priorities, slings and arrows be damned. But she can’t. She loves her job. She loves her kids. Something’s gotta give, and it’s okay.
November 2, 2023
The host of NPR’s “All Things Considered� gives us a memoir of her quickly elapsing parenting years…before she’s ready. She bears the credentials of the finest of journalists, having reported from and written about some of the world’s most dangerous war zones, from Iraq to the Ukraine. But she’s also a mom to two teenage boys, one of which is set (as of spring 2022) to attend college. Maybe some of the lessons she’s learned in grilling recalcitrant diplomats or interviewing belligerent activists can be passed on. But is it too little, too late?
Well, when it comes to the title…she ain’t kiddin�. I’m not where she is, as my daughter’s about seven years away from college. But yeah, she doesn’t hold my hand to cross the street anymore, and only tolerates (albeit politely) my corny jokes. Heck, I thought it was going too fast when I sat at work nine years ago, looking at pics sent by my wife. Pangs of jealousy swept through me as I watched her play with my toddler at the beach, the aquarium, the living room.
Kelly’s joy for her active, tough, smart boys is evident and heartfelt. I felt a little of her pain when she wrote about being called by the school nurse…while she was in a tense meeting in Iraq. I smiled and cheered when James scored a game-winning goal.
Likewise, her descriptions of her journalistic adventures are just eye-popping. Why anyone would feel compelled, drawn, to the front lines in eastern Ukraine is beyond me. But her reporting has a humanness to it. What a wonderful story it was, for example, to hear from a former Ukrainian parliamentary member who just wanted to buy a gerbil for her daughter, knowing the troublesome logistics of evacuating with it. Her “map test� confrontation with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was told with patience and accuracy.
What a shame, then, to see these life aspects come into conflict. This memoir shines when Kelly contrasts her praise for her family with her innate desire to report world-changing events from around the globe. She expresses her anguish well, and rightly tells readers, especially women, that there’s no need to sacrifice a vocational or academic passion to fill a parental role. “No one’s figured out how to be in two places at once,� she often says, and again she’s on point. She’s sad she missed the big game, but she’s (mostly) OK with her choice. We should respect that.
Now, perhaps it’s not my place to judge. And, like many of you, I don’t like criticizing a memoir. The writer’s entitled to his/her feelings on his/her experiences. That said, here’s a thought I tapped into my phone while reading:
Blessed are those who have such a fulfilling, enriching, exciting career that the compulsion to take advantage of the opportunities it offers comes into direct competition for time and spiritual energy with one’s family and friends.
The word “relatable� appears in the advertising for this book, and on one level, it’s true. Anyone who’s watched a kid grow up, parent or not, can understand the simultaneous love and heartbreak in such a relationship. And yeah, if offered a chance to further your passion, at the expense of a meaningful family event…what would you do?
But my boss has never said, “Hey, Chris, we need you to provide college counseling at the World Series. Can you skip your daughter’s event and go?� In fact, the opposite just happened: I had to look in her eyes and tell her I had to attend an open house instead of going to her favorite water park. She might be mature and smart, but a dagger shot through my heart when she asked: “Why, Dad?� My answer: “Work is making me.�
That’s true for most of us…isn’t it? I can’t say I’ve ever voluntarily skipped a family thing because of some thrilling work opportunity. But then�that’s never happened. Maybe that says something about my dedication and passion for my day job, but I think I’m in the vast majority here. I’d much rather go to the recital, her play, her big game, than something for work. And I’m still waiting to be asked to visit the University of Hawaii.
Also, I’m still a few nickels short in my “Nantucket Summer Home Fund.� So, the last time I needed to tune out the distractions and write�I put on my headphones. At the dining room table. Which doubles as my home office.
As I write that, I realize it’s kinda harsh. It’s not fair to fault an accomplished person for her status and situation. It’s just that “relatable� felt like the wrong word.
(These are just ramblings, of course, wild reflections on being a working parent like Kelly is, sorta. Feel free to ignore them, and please don’t roast me in the comments.)
Still, kudos to Kelly for evoking some very worthwhile feelings. Clearly, her dad was her hero, complex as he was. Sounds like an interesting and loving father. And I wish her well in her relationship with her husband. She writes like a person filled with and driven by love. She cares for her kids, she cares for the truth. Ain’t nothin� wrong with that, rich or poor.
A nice reflection read for any parent, or for fans of “All Things Considered.�
Well, when it comes to the title…she ain’t kiddin�. I’m not where she is, as my daughter’s about seven years away from college. But yeah, she doesn’t hold my hand to cross the street anymore, and only tolerates (albeit politely) my corny jokes. Heck, I thought it was going too fast when I sat at work nine years ago, looking at pics sent by my wife. Pangs of jealousy swept through me as I watched her play with my toddler at the beach, the aquarium, the living room.
Kelly’s joy for her active, tough, smart boys is evident and heartfelt. I felt a little of her pain when she wrote about being called by the school nurse…while she was in a tense meeting in Iraq. I smiled and cheered when James scored a game-winning goal.
Likewise, her descriptions of her journalistic adventures are just eye-popping. Why anyone would feel compelled, drawn, to the front lines in eastern Ukraine is beyond me. But her reporting has a humanness to it. What a wonderful story it was, for example, to hear from a former Ukrainian parliamentary member who just wanted to buy a gerbil for her daughter, knowing the troublesome logistics of evacuating with it. Her “map test� confrontation with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was told with patience and accuracy.
What a shame, then, to see these life aspects come into conflict. This memoir shines when Kelly contrasts her praise for her family with her innate desire to report world-changing events from around the globe. She expresses her anguish well, and rightly tells readers, especially women, that there’s no need to sacrifice a vocational or academic passion to fill a parental role. “No one’s figured out how to be in two places at once,� she often says, and again she’s on point. She’s sad she missed the big game, but she’s (mostly) OK with her choice. We should respect that.
Now, perhaps it’s not my place to judge. And, like many of you, I don’t like criticizing a memoir. The writer’s entitled to his/her feelings on his/her experiences. That said, here’s a thought I tapped into my phone while reading:
Blessed are those who have such a fulfilling, enriching, exciting career that the compulsion to take advantage of the opportunities it offers comes into direct competition for time and spiritual energy with one’s family and friends.
The word “relatable� appears in the advertising for this book, and on one level, it’s true. Anyone who’s watched a kid grow up, parent or not, can understand the simultaneous love and heartbreak in such a relationship. And yeah, if offered a chance to further your passion, at the expense of a meaningful family event…what would you do?
But my boss has never said, “Hey, Chris, we need you to provide college counseling at the World Series. Can you skip your daughter’s event and go?� In fact, the opposite just happened: I had to look in her eyes and tell her I had to attend an open house instead of going to her favorite water park. She might be mature and smart, but a dagger shot through my heart when she asked: “Why, Dad?� My answer: “Work is making me.�
That’s true for most of us…isn’t it? I can’t say I’ve ever voluntarily skipped a family thing because of some thrilling work opportunity. But then�that’s never happened. Maybe that says something about my dedication and passion for my day job, but I think I’m in the vast majority here. I’d much rather go to the recital, her play, her big game, than something for work. And I’m still waiting to be asked to visit the University of Hawaii.
Also, I’m still a few nickels short in my “Nantucket Summer Home Fund.� So, the last time I needed to tune out the distractions and write�I put on my headphones. At the dining room table. Which doubles as my home office.
As I write that, I realize it’s kinda harsh. It’s not fair to fault an accomplished person for her status and situation. It’s just that “relatable� felt like the wrong word.
(These are just ramblings, of course, wild reflections on being a working parent like Kelly is, sorta. Feel free to ignore them, and please don’t roast me in the comments.)
Still, kudos to Kelly for evoking some very worthwhile feelings. Clearly, her dad was her hero, complex as he was. Sounds like an interesting and loving father. And I wish her well in her relationship with her husband. She writes like a person filled with and driven by love. She cares for her kids, she cares for the truth. Ain’t nothin� wrong with that, rich or poor.
A nice reflection read for any parent, or for fans of “All Things Considered.�
June 5, 2023
I was expecting a book about a mom realizing that the words of her father were, indeed, true: "Family always comes first" and deciding to take time (finally) to spend time with her son, who is a senior in high school. Instead, it is a book about how the author continued to make work a higher priority than her sons. The book is about all of the stories she covered as a journalist, the places she's been, and how important she believes what she does is to the world and how good she is at it. Story after story about the stories she's covered overseas while missing her son's ball games and school activities. After reading the book, I'm not sure she even comprehends how selfish and egotistical she is, and how little she cares about her boys and her husband. At the end of the book, one son has left for college and her other son is a Junior in high school. Instead of deciding to stay home so that she won't miss her second son's last years at home, she decides to go back to Ukraine. In her final paragraphs she looks forward to two years in the future "when there are no more children in the house, nothing requiring me to stay in Washington." If you're looking for a book that lists all of the wonderful things that happen when you make your family a priority, this isn't the book for you.
May 15, 2023
Loved the voice and honesty of Mary Louise Kelly, but found myself disappointed in the value of the effort to track her son's last year. My oldest son, entering his senior year, has me pondering similar thoughts. I hoped for more commonality of mindset, but I didn't connect with her concerns in the way I might have expected. It does go so fast, and there are so many important steps along the way. This piece, however, focused more on her job than I'd expected and seemed to focus more on HER year than I'd expected. Her world felt a smidge entitled? I know that mine is remarkably so as well, but it was still difficult for me to connect.
March 15, 2024
This book is about mothers and sons and their childhood that all too soon is over and how much too many of us miss along the way.
Kelly talks about her son's love for soccer and the games she did not want to miss. The time/ career conflicts that got in the way and how for once she was determined to set family first.
Mary Louise Kelly of NPR's All Things Considered memoir looks at motherhood from her present day perch as a journalist and the mother of two teenage sons, one of whom is currently in his last year of high school. All too soon, James, her oldest will leave for college to perhaps never to live in the same household again..
I was hesitant to read this memoir as I knew it was likely to bring on a stretch of melancholy I would need to fight my way out of with lots of long walks and lots of wonderful books. It did do that but there is a lot of joy and just warm hearted feeling as well. As my own son has just welcomed his own son recently I wanted to place this book in his hands and say treasure the moments, find the joy in the ordinary as it all goes by so so fast.
4.5 stars rounded up.
Kelly talks about her son's love for soccer and the games she did not want to miss. The time/ career conflicts that got in the way and how for once she was determined to set family first.
Mary Louise Kelly of NPR's All Things Considered memoir looks at motherhood from her present day perch as a journalist and the mother of two teenage sons, one of whom is currently in his last year of high school. All too soon, James, her oldest will leave for college to perhaps never to live in the same household again..
I was hesitant to read this memoir as I knew it was likely to bring on a stretch of melancholy I would need to fight my way out of with lots of long walks and lots of wonderful books. It did do that but there is a lot of joy and just warm hearted feeling as well. As my own son has just welcomed his own son recently I wanted to place this book in his hands and say treasure the moments, find the joy in the ordinary as it all goes by so so fast.
4.5 stars rounded up.
June 24, 2023
Very disappointed in this after having high hopes when I read the blurb. Mostly about her NPR career and not enough about her “doing over� her sons senior year.
May 5, 2023
I wish this book had a clearer focus - either her last year(s) with her sons at home (which is what the title and blurb suggests this IS) or an opportunity for her to shed her personal light on the more newsworthy adventures in her career in recent years. While obviously these two parts of her life are deeply connected, the connection made between the two in this book format felt forced. I did enjoy reading this, and the parenting sections (about her sons and her father) really pulled on the heartstrings.
April 23, 2023
This book offers an interesting examination of the tension between parenting and a high-stakes career alongside a glimpse into the laudable work of a dedicated journalist who put her own safety far below the duty to report honest news. However, I felt there was too little acknowledgement of the privilege, financial and otherwise, that undergirded this family's support structure. St Albans plus grandparents volunteering to pitch in throughout?? Must be nice.
I also wondered where the author's husband was during their children's childhood while she was fielding calls and feeling guilty for being on a helicopter accompanying the SecDef in Iraq while a kid needed an ER visit. The end of the book somewhat answers that question while also leaving the reader wondering if theirs was yet another case of an accomplished woman juggling double duty so her husband could rake in even bigger bucks while eventually checking out for greener pastures.
I also wondered where the author's husband was during their children's childhood while she was fielding calls and feeling guilty for being on a helicopter accompanying the SecDef in Iraq while a kid needed an ER visit. The end of the book somewhat answers that question while also leaving the reader wondering if theirs was yet another case of an accomplished woman juggling double duty so her husband could rake in even bigger bucks while eventually checking out for greener pastures.
May 21, 2023
I expected to like this more. But the book turns out to be less about her son's last year at home and more about her job as a high-profile reporter. And ALL about her privilege, which she gives a nod to, but doesn't acknowledge nearly enough. I skimmed the second half, after she tried to twist her interview with Mike Pompeo into a life lesson for her boys. It was a stretch.
I thought it would be the kind of books that most moms could identify with -- the guilt and regret of missing out on your kids' stuff while you work. But Kelly leaves home to go to a job she loves, where she's at the top of her game, knowing that the nanny and her husband and her mom are home to pick up the slack. She has a beach house to escape to when she needs some quiet. She doesn't have to work -- she makes clear at the beginning that she can quit if she wants to because her husband makes more than she does -- she's very ambitious. Like, crazy ambitious -- when she did leave work when her second son was young and needed early intervention for speech therapy, she spent her spare time writing best-selling novels. I'm glad there are women who lean in like that and I'm glad I don't know any personally.
Most working moms I know work for a paycheck -- they may love their work and enjoy being there and accomplish stuff that makes them proud, but they are there to pay the mortgage and put food on the table and have nice stuff. Most working moms in the world are barely getting by, working 2 jobs to pay rent and still getting behind and never having nice stuff (a lot of this country's moms are working minimum wage jobs that don't provide for one person, much less dependents). A lot of moms don't have husbands or family help or nannies. Or a vacation with college friends. Or a beach house.
Kelly's book will only resonate with other upper-middle-class, college-educated, blue-collar, highly-ambitious women who missed a soccer game. Bless their hearts.
I thought it would be the kind of books that most moms could identify with -- the guilt and regret of missing out on your kids' stuff while you work. But Kelly leaves home to go to a job she loves, where she's at the top of her game, knowing that the nanny and her husband and her mom are home to pick up the slack. She has a beach house to escape to when she needs some quiet. She doesn't have to work -- she makes clear at the beginning that she can quit if she wants to because her husband makes more than she does -- she's very ambitious. Like, crazy ambitious -- when she did leave work when her second son was young and needed early intervention for speech therapy, she spent her spare time writing best-selling novels. I'm glad there are women who lean in like that and I'm glad I don't know any personally.
Most working moms I know work for a paycheck -- they may love their work and enjoy being there and accomplish stuff that makes them proud, but they are there to pay the mortgage and put food on the table and have nice stuff. Most working moms in the world are barely getting by, working 2 jobs to pay rent and still getting behind and never having nice stuff (a lot of this country's moms are working minimum wage jobs that don't provide for one person, much less dependents). A lot of moms don't have husbands or family help or nannies. Or a vacation with college friends. Or a beach house.
Kelly's book will only resonate with other upper-middle-class, college-educated, blue-collar, highly-ambitious women who missed a soccer game. Bless their hearts.
March 30, 2023
I completely related to the authors pain as she realizes her son is in his last year of high school last year at home.With a busy career at npr she decides to step back and enjoy the moments of this final year.This is a emotional open memoir so much happens in Mary Louise Kelly’s life and career .As a fan of hers I really enjoyed getting to know her ,I will be recommending this to friends and think it would be excellent for book club discussions, #netgally #itgoessofast
August 12, 2024
I thought it would be more about parenting and less about resume bullet points. Lots of political topics that can isolate her audience quite quickly.
June 29, 2023
It. Isn't. About. What. Mary Louise Kelly. Says. It. Is. Going. To. Be. About.
The concept is a fascinating one: how does a working, busy parent negotiate the year of lasts for the oldest child, the final year before college. The Year of Lasts is a thing that happens as you parent but must be heightened and accelerated in the senior year.
Instead, Mary Louise Kelly offers tangential stories of her incredible reporting career, vainglorious anecdotes of getting chewed out by Mike Pompeo, shrinks her relationship with her partner to an invisible level, and keeps both of her soccer-playing children blandly without shading or color at all? I think my take-away is that it is grand to be a part of a very elite private school with all of its noteworthy traditions from 5th to 12th grade, following soccer games is fun, and...I'm not sure what else? Decisions have consequences? I wonder what Mary Louise Kelly's kids think of this book?
Note: If you need to retreat to an author's hideaway and NOT be unable to travel to a pivotal soccer match, find a quiet hotel room 20 mins from your home and the soccer match.
The concept is a fascinating one: how does a working, busy parent negotiate the year of lasts for the oldest child, the final year before college. The Year of Lasts is a thing that happens as you parent but must be heightened and accelerated in the senior year.
Instead, Mary Louise Kelly offers tangential stories of her incredible reporting career, vainglorious anecdotes of getting chewed out by Mike Pompeo, shrinks her relationship with her partner to an invisible level, and keeps both of her soccer-playing children blandly without shading or color at all? I think my take-away is that it is grand to be a part of a very elite private school with all of its noteworthy traditions from 5th to 12th grade, following soccer games is fun, and...I'm not sure what else? Decisions have consequences? I wonder what Mary Louise Kelly's kids think of this book?
Note: If you need to retreat to an author's hideaway and NOT be unable to travel to a pivotal soccer match, find a quiet hotel room 20 mins from your home and the soccer match.
October 27, 2023
Braggadocio. I couldn’t get through the first third of the book because the author continued to take us on an ego trip through her illustrious career, talking in circles about the same thing. “I worked in a war zone as a reporter and my kids needed me�. Okay, so you then gave them one year of your undivided attention as an “experiment� for a book? With a tight deadline at the core? This is exactly how the intro explains the purpose of the book, it’s shallow and egocentric, and lacks the human connection between mother in child. Motherhood is a messy task to this author; she talks of applesauce in her hair, portraying motherhood as a disgusting role, compared to the exciting work of a journalist, it completely undermines her humanity and lacks the heart needed to bring readers into the fold.
October 10, 2023
She was sitting at a 3 then somehow, there were tears streaming down my face in the last chapter so she gets a 4.
April 2, 2023
(free review copy) I went into this book only knowing it was about Kelly's determination to be present for her sons during her oldest's last year of high school, and I loved that part of the book. As a working parent of teens, I know all too well just how fast those years fly, and just how hard it is to balance it all. Kelly mixes in a great deal about her work at NPR , as well as reflections on the loss of her father and the state of her marriage ~ with all of the additional content and shifting themes, it left me confused at times about the actual intention of the book since it didn't always seem to be sticking with the stated purpose.
Overall this was a touching memoir about a famous mother trying to balance all the things and never quite feeling like she succeeded. It's rare that these books are written by moms of older kids and I really appreciated a middle aged professional mother addressing the fastest and (in my experience) most bittersweet years of motherhood. I just wish it had been a bit more focused.
Source: Edelweiss digital review copy
Overall this was a touching memoir about a famous mother trying to balance all the things and never quite feeling like she succeeded. It's rare that these books are written by moms of older kids and I really appreciated a middle aged professional mother addressing the fastest and (in my experience) most bittersweet years of motherhood. I just wish it had been a bit more focused.
Source: Edelweiss digital review copy
December 16, 2022
I received a copy of this book from Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ in exchange for a review.
Mary Louise Kelly speaks with a voice that my heart hears.
This story resonates with me. Not because I had a demanding job like Ms. Kelly's, but because, as my two sons grew up, I always felt I should be doing more, helping them more (or maybe less??), and listening more to what they were saying. Or maybe, simply, because I wanted to be there more.
Mary Louise Kelly speaks with a voice that my heart hears.
This story resonates with me. Not because I had a demanding job like Ms. Kelly's, but because, as my two sons grew up, I always felt I should be doing more, helping them more (or maybe less??), and listening more to what they were saying. Or maybe, simply, because I wanted to be there more.
July 14, 2023
I have a son who also graduated high school this year. I gave up a job opportunity because I chose to stay in my current job (to be fair, a great job) so that I wouldn’t miss his senior year.
The author claims to have done that, but what she really did was take on another job (writing the book) and take a writing sabbatical from her �9-5� with NPR.
And then she missed out on key components of her son’s senior year because she was working on that secondary job.
Everyone makes their own choices, but if you are looking for solidarity from another Mom who suddenly realizes that the sands of “still living at home� time are slipping through her fingers and makes changes in order to enjoy that last little bit of time - this is not that book.
The author claims to have done that, but what she really did was take on another job (writing the book) and take a writing sabbatical from her �9-5� with NPR.
And then she missed out on key components of her son’s senior year because she was working on that secondary job.
Everyone makes their own choices, but if you are looking for solidarity from another Mom who suddenly realizes that the sands of “still living at home� time are slipping through her fingers and makes changes in order to enjoy that last little bit of time - this is not that book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2023
Not the book I was promised. 'I missed so much, it's Senior Year, I won't miss it'....and then proceeds to miss it regularly. There are more stories about NPR and traveling for a story than of her kids. The husband is barely a footnote. The book is mostly justification for placing work above family. If that's your choice, great! Own it. Just don't whine 'they're raised by a nanny' and follow up with 'but I didn't have a choice, I love my job and I'm so good at it'. You made a choice, the choice that was right for you. That's good. You've had an amazing, fulfilling career, congratulations. Own that and don't whine about something you're not really sorry about. Throw in the unapologetic privilege and this was a waste of time for me.
October 20, 2024
A thoughtful lament on the end of contemporary motherhood and the arrival of an empty nest, Kelly is a skilled storyteller and a loving mother who juggles an awe-inspiring career (war journalism, NPR) with motherhood, though sometimes her wealth and privilege come across as hard to ignore. She has a lovely, low voice as an audiobook reader, but while it works for radio I'm not sure it works here - there is more affect needed.
I was hoping for a more honest, gritty look at the intricacies of motherhood, but I appreciated the earnest reminder to treasure these tween years; because they are going so fast.
I was hoping for a more honest, gritty look at the intricacies of motherhood, but I appreciated the earnest reminder to treasure these tween years; because they are going so fast.
May 9, 2023
4.5/5 - A title has never been more fitting "It. Goes. So. Fast."
This author/mom's reflection carries special meaning as Mother's Day approaches. The perfect gift for both of my daughters as they each welcome of the arrival of baby #2 this year!
This author/mom's reflection carries special meaning as Mother's Day approaches. The perfect gift for both of my daughters as they each welcome of the arrival of baby #2 this year!
July 22, 2023
4.5*. Right book at the right time. As the reader of her audiobook, Mary Louise, Kelly felt a bit like an old friend after hearing her so long on NPR. She writes about mothers and sons and fathers and daughters and childhood too soon over and managing to juggle family and work in ways that feel excruciating as she’s making the decisions but seem to work out in the end.
Excerpts:
This is how it’s supposed to work. This is how it has to be. They’re fine. They’ve got this. They needed me and now, much of the time, they don’t. if you stop to dwell on the people who once needed you, and no longer do, the sadness can nearly knock you down. Life is both more complicated and more beautiful than this. I am 50 years old and still need my mom all the time. On days when I’m struggling, I channeled my mother and her confidence in me. On days when I’m really struggling, I picked my grandmothers too and their mothers before them, a long line of women, many of whom I’ve never met, whose voice is somehow resonate in mine.
Whatever, since we commit as parents, and I have committed plenty, surely They can’t be that bad if our children can’t even remember them.
Maybe it boils down to this: the allure of Youth is the promise of things fresh and supple, bright eyes and dewy cheeks and bodies still in bud, but it is also at its most elemental about possibility, about all the paths not yet taken, all the adventures yet to come. When you hit your 40s and 50s it can start to feel like more doors are closing then opening. You can start to wonder if the craziest, most joyful adventures are behind you.
Enter the guy in the muscle car, windows down and speakers thumping, tires, hot on asphalt, the chassis throbbing with the base boom boom boom. Can you hear it? Can you see him? he knows nothings going to happen. You know nothings going to happen. this isn’t going anywhere. It doesn’t need to. The only thing that matters about this moment is already in motion. He’s looking straight at you. and for a split second, you’re all he sees. this right here people? This is the opposite of feeling invisible. you are seen. You exist. You are here. You are alive.
Never letting go was never an option, was it? our children are outgrowing us from the moment they are born. You can let a lot of life pass you by sitting at home, waiting for people to need you. tweak the question about regret by just a word or two, though, and the answer changes. I do not regret going. but do I regret leaving him? Yes. God yes. Always.
There are a few factors at play here. The first is simple. I want to go because it’s what I do, it’s a job, and it’s what I’m good at. In his book being mortal, Atul Gawande accurately describes the joy that flows from being good at your work: you become a doctor, for what you imagined to be the satisfaction of the work. And it turns out to be the satisfaction of competence. It is a deep satisfaction very much like the one of the Carpenter experiences when restoring a fragile, antique chest. It comes partly from being helpful to others but it also comes from being technically skilled and able to solve difficult, intricate problems. your competence gives you a secure sense of identity.
“When you are going through hell, keep going. “Winston Churchill?
Never give in. Never give in. Never never never never. Winston Churchill.
Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2016 novel Here I am: only one thing can keep something close over time: holding it there, grappling with it, wrestling it to the ground, as Jacob did with the angel and refusing to let go. What we don’t wrestle, we let go of. Love isn’t the absence of struggle. Love is a struggle.
A portion of a Rilke poem about grief, and pushing through it. It’s a beautiful poem. But looking back at all these years later, the words that hit home are not by Rilke in fact, but Robert Bly, his translator from the German, who has written his own commentary alongside the original work. “The pain is a cracking of the walls as the room grows.�
“It’s important to know how to use power tools� my dad said, and what he meant was “I love you. I love you. I love you.�
Things feel easy between us today. Maybe this means some thing and maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s OK to just sit companionably, to take pride together in a long partnership that has raised two wonderful boys, that has achieved what we set out to do.
He was looking not at nick’s camera, but slightly to its left. I zoomed in. He was looking at me. Straight at me. He had the sweetest look on his face. A small, almost shy smile. A look used to give me when he was a little boy, and he wanted to show me something that he had built, something that he was really proud of.
I have loved this boy since the day he was born. Our bond has changed and stretched, and been tested, sometimes sorely tested, over 18 years, but perhaps the pain was the cracking of the walls as the room grew. Because there it is on my son’s face: the simple, sweet love between a boy and his mama.
I think of my life as a play in, so far, three acts. The curtain was about to open on act three. I’ve posed a couple of questions. What now? What next?
The headmaster gave a talk about rituals. He told the assembled seniors and their families to find comfort in them, to use them to help navigate this time of transition and emotion and farewells. We are filled with sadness to see you go, but how lucky we are to have had you here. to have some thing that makes it so hard to say goodbye.
I always think of a fresco in one of my favorite churches in Florence. Masaccio painted at around 1424 on the wall of Santa Maria Novella. It shows the holy trinity, Christ on the cross, God the father, and the Holy Spirit. Beneath him lies a skeleton in a tomb, and and an inscription in Italian,“What you are, I once was. What I am, you will be.� a reminder that our time is short. A reminder that it goes so fast.
Excerpts:
This is how it’s supposed to work. This is how it has to be. They’re fine. They’ve got this. They needed me and now, much of the time, they don’t. if you stop to dwell on the people who once needed you, and no longer do, the sadness can nearly knock you down. Life is both more complicated and more beautiful than this. I am 50 years old and still need my mom all the time. On days when I’m struggling, I channeled my mother and her confidence in me. On days when I’m really struggling, I picked my grandmothers too and their mothers before them, a long line of women, many of whom I’ve never met, whose voice is somehow resonate in mine.
Whatever, since we commit as parents, and I have committed plenty, surely They can’t be that bad if our children can’t even remember them.
Maybe it boils down to this: the allure of Youth is the promise of things fresh and supple, bright eyes and dewy cheeks and bodies still in bud, but it is also at its most elemental about possibility, about all the paths not yet taken, all the adventures yet to come. When you hit your 40s and 50s it can start to feel like more doors are closing then opening. You can start to wonder if the craziest, most joyful adventures are behind you.
Enter the guy in the muscle car, windows down and speakers thumping, tires, hot on asphalt, the chassis throbbing with the base boom boom boom. Can you hear it? Can you see him? he knows nothings going to happen. You know nothings going to happen. this isn’t going anywhere. It doesn’t need to. The only thing that matters about this moment is already in motion. He’s looking straight at you. and for a split second, you’re all he sees. this right here people? This is the opposite of feeling invisible. you are seen. You exist. You are here. You are alive.
Never letting go was never an option, was it? our children are outgrowing us from the moment they are born. You can let a lot of life pass you by sitting at home, waiting for people to need you. tweak the question about regret by just a word or two, though, and the answer changes. I do not regret going. but do I regret leaving him? Yes. God yes. Always.
There are a few factors at play here. The first is simple. I want to go because it’s what I do, it’s a job, and it’s what I’m good at. In his book being mortal, Atul Gawande accurately describes the joy that flows from being good at your work: you become a doctor, for what you imagined to be the satisfaction of the work. And it turns out to be the satisfaction of competence. It is a deep satisfaction very much like the one of the Carpenter experiences when restoring a fragile, antique chest. It comes partly from being helpful to others but it also comes from being technically skilled and able to solve difficult, intricate problems. your competence gives you a secure sense of identity.
“When you are going through hell, keep going. “Winston Churchill?
Never give in. Never give in. Never never never never. Winston Churchill.
Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2016 novel Here I am: only one thing can keep something close over time: holding it there, grappling with it, wrestling it to the ground, as Jacob did with the angel and refusing to let go. What we don’t wrestle, we let go of. Love isn’t the absence of struggle. Love is a struggle.
A portion of a Rilke poem about grief, and pushing through it. It’s a beautiful poem. But looking back at all these years later, the words that hit home are not by Rilke in fact, but Robert Bly, his translator from the German, who has written his own commentary alongside the original work. “The pain is a cracking of the walls as the room grows.�
“It’s important to know how to use power tools� my dad said, and what he meant was “I love you. I love you. I love you.�
Things feel easy between us today. Maybe this means some thing and maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s OK to just sit companionably, to take pride together in a long partnership that has raised two wonderful boys, that has achieved what we set out to do.
He was looking not at nick’s camera, but slightly to its left. I zoomed in. He was looking at me. Straight at me. He had the sweetest look on his face. A small, almost shy smile. A look used to give me when he was a little boy, and he wanted to show me something that he had built, something that he was really proud of.
I have loved this boy since the day he was born. Our bond has changed and stretched, and been tested, sometimes sorely tested, over 18 years, but perhaps the pain was the cracking of the walls as the room grew. Because there it is on my son’s face: the simple, sweet love between a boy and his mama.
I think of my life as a play in, so far, three acts. The curtain was about to open on act three. I’ve posed a couple of questions. What now? What next?
The headmaster gave a talk about rituals. He told the assembled seniors and their families to find comfort in them, to use them to help navigate this time of transition and emotion and farewells. We are filled with sadness to see you go, but how lucky we are to have had you here. to have some thing that makes it so hard to say goodbye.
I always think of a fresco in one of my favorite churches in Florence. Masaccio painted at around 1424 on the wall of Santa Maria Novella. It shows the holy trinity, Christ on the cross, God the father, and the Holy Spirit. Beneath him lies a skeleton in a tomb, and and an inscription in Italian,“What you are, I once was. What I am, you will be.� a reminder that our time is short. A reminder that it goes so fast.
July 8, 2023
This was a book that was so easy to relate to as a mother of grown children, as well as a daughter of a wonderful father. The feelings that were shared by the author were so real and relatable, not only as a mother but also as a daughter.
January 25, 2024
I usually don’t read non-fiction. I loved her take on being a working mother. I enjoyed reading about her covering so many different political figures, events and wars. The chapters/reflections about her dad had me tearing up and thinking about how precious time with our parent is.
August 26, 2023
Enjoyed her point of view and story as a working mom with two boys. Would have been a five star had she not veered into stories about her travels for work. I’ve never listened to her on NPR so didn’t have much of an impact for me.
January 27, 2024
I was very confused by this book, which has such a promising premise based on the description. However, it failed to deliver on virtually every topic it promised to cover and instead was a rambling mess of career anecdotes. I feel like she sold this book idea then couldn’t come through and quickly cobbled together some very random essays about her career and tried to tangentially tie them into parenting? I expected so much more and was so disappointed. Someone else should write this book - the concept is great but this book did NOT deliver.
August 25, 2023
Trying to incorporate some nonfiction into my life. I was expecting a lot more parenting advice and stuff about senior year. This book was a memoir of a news host from All Things Considered. It was much more about her life, her work, turning 50, her dad dying, and a little bit about her kids. Still a decent book, but I don’t know her from NPR (I just read an occasional book review or listen to a snippet) and I had never seen her reporting or heard of her before. I do feel like this year ahead with our oldest son being a senior will go quickly and I do want to appreciate every moment, but ironically I feel like her babysitters, au pairs, her mother, and her husband watched her kids more than she did. She vowed to be there, but it seems like it was a stretch for her to try. As the primary childcare giver in our home for the past 18 years, I didn’t identify much with her intense working schedule.
August 24, 2023
Mary Louise Kelly super fans might be interested in this memoir but it fell painfully short for me. The inclusion of odd details - all the potential names of her children, don't call her between 4 & 6 noted several times, etc needed an editor's red pen. Her emotional relationship to her children was based on their superior soccer play & their repeated game saving scores. Fails to convey the depths of the emotional experience of a working mother's final year with her child - don't waste your time.
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