Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year - Softcover

Lamott, Anne

4.18

25,322 ratings by Goodreads

9780449909287: Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year

Softcover

ISBN 10: 044990928X ISBN 13: 9780449909287

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1994

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It seems no mother of a newborn has ever been more hilarious, more honest, or more touching than Ann Lamott is in OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS. A single parent whose baby's father is out of the picture, Lamott struggles not only to support her little family by her wits and her writing, but to stay sober at the same time. Faith in God helps; so does her loyal band of helpers, from her childless best friend Pammy to her mother and "Aunt Dudu" to the folks at the La Leche League hotline. And between colic, wheat-free diets, and the triumph of solid food, Lamott learns that blessings and losses come together, and that as our capacity for joy increases, so does our capacity for grief.
"An enormous triumph . . . Charming . . . Powerful . . . A gracious book, with dozens of lovingly drawn characters and a deep, infectious religiosity throughout. It is also funny." -- San Francisco Chronicle
"Smart, funny and comforting . . . Lamott has a conversational style that perfectly conveys her friendly, self-deprecating humor." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review

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Review:

" An enormous triumph. . . . Charming. . . . Powerful. . . . Funny." - "San Francisco Chronicle" " A funny, self-mocking, vivid account." - "The Washington Post "" Smart, funny, and comforting. . . . Lamott has a conversational style that perfectly conveys her friendly, self-deprecating humor." - "Los Angeles Times Book Review "" Lamott is a wonderfully lithe writer. . . . Anyone who has ever had a hard time facing a perfectly ordinary day will identify." - "Chicago Tribune "" First class all the way. . . . Lamott, along with her novelist's eye and often poetic prose, has a terrifically black sense of humor. . . . Deeply honest." - "The Detroit News "" Wonderfully candid. . . . Even non-parents will enjoy this glowing work." - "Publishers Weekly"" Lamott here shares her humor, faith, friendships, and irreverence. . . . Operating Instructions" "is enhanced by Lamott's colorful and expressive language, her philosophical reflections, and her descriptions of many eccentric friends." - "Library Journal"" One need not be a new parent to appreciate Lamott's glib and gritty good humor in the face of annihilating weariness. She'll nourish fans with her entries, and give birth to new ones as well." - "Kirkus Reviews "" Painfully honest, laced with humor and poetry and moments of profound insight. It captures the intense fluctuations of feeling, the rapid alternation of exhilaration and fury, love and despair, that characterizes new parenthood." - "San Francisco Examiner"

About the Author:

Anne Lamott is the bestselling author of Bird by Bird and Traveling Mercies and of five novels, including Rosie and Crooked Little Heart. She lives in Fairfax, California, with her son.
From the Trade Paperback edition.

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