Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

[MrsMike]

Hello! I recently picked up Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner. I needed a quick read the other day. Unfortunately, I've only been able to get through 60 pages of the book because something keeps popping up....very frustrating since I can finish a book in a matter of hours. Anyway, my point: I noticed she made mention of CDing, slinging, breastfeeding and ECing mamas a few times in the book so far. It seems as if her tone isn't too favorable towards the crunchy type of moms. Has anyone else read this book? Am I right or am I really over-reading into things? Am I going to regret getting this book? I just wanted some easy chick-lit and don't feel like reading anything bashing my type of parenting.

[angelcat]

I loved that book. I don't remember her being negative about stuff.

[ollineeba]

She mentions these things in a few of her books.. I got the impression she actually agrees (or maybe does these things in real life?) with them.
In one of her books- can't remember the title- one of the characters has to deal with an overbearing MIL who doesn't understand, if I recall correctly.
I love her writing, btw. I blew through her books so fast!

[alaskaberry]

If I remember correctly, it was just that the mc felt inadequate because the other suburban mommies were *too* NL.

[angelcat]

Originally Posted by mama2babybeans

She mentions these things in a few of her books.. I got the impression she actually agrees (or maybe does these things in real life?) with them.
In one of her books- can't remember the title- one of the characters has to deal with an overbearing MIL who doesn't understand, if I recall correctly.
I love her writing, btw. I blew through her books so fast!

Yeah. It was Little Earthquakes, I think. I LOVED that book.

I love chick lit.

[Valkyrie9]

I love her! You can check her website out at www.jenniferweiner.com. She seems down to earth.

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by angelcat

Yeah. It was Little Earthquakes, I think. I LOVED that book.

I love chick lit.

Yup, that was it
I love her writing style. So hard to put down!

[PiePie]

i know her IRL. before her dd was born, she was in love with AP. some of the practices (e.g., slinging) didn't work for her, though, and she became more cynical toward it. still, she is a very attentive parent despite not meeting all of the checklist boxes.

[Mina]

I haven't read Goodbye Nobody, but in Little Earthquakes she was not kind to natural childbirth or AP parenting, so my guess would be you're not reading too much into it. That was the last book I read by her, and up until that point I was a big fan. :-/

[MrsMike]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I finished the book a few days after my initial post. It's a pretty good book. It's the first one I have read from her. The ending wasn't my cup of tea, but the story was good overall.
I do get the sense that she isn't keen on the AP lifestyle, both from comments in the book and a comment she made in the interview with her in the back of the book. It's not the biggest deal to me, I'm just tired of hearing crap about my parenting style everywhere I go. Nothing against her personally.

[amcal]

I just finished her first book Good in Bed and the title character breastfeeds. I haven't read any others yet though.

[NiteNicole]

I don't get the sense that she personally endorses one parenting style or another, but she does very much include a lot of thoughts on parenting styles/choices in her various characters. It seems like JW does a very good job of including the conflicted or judgmental part of parenting in her mother characters. I find that so realistic.

[amcal]

Originally Posted by Mina

I haven't read Goodbye Nobody, but in Little Earthquakes she was not kind to natural childbirth or AP parenting, so my guess would be you're not reading too much into it. That was the last book I read by her, and up until that point I was a big fan. :-/

I totally disagree! I just finished this book and I loved how AP she was! She didn't paint AP as the most perfect, glorious experience ever. She painted it in a realistic light. It's not always easy to breastfeed, cloth diaper, co-sleep etc.. but, all of her characters hung in there and breastfed, one used a sling, one co-slept, one cloth diapered, one nursed while pregnant with her 2nd. I think she is totally AP but didn't paint it as all roses and kittens which it's not. It's hard sometimes, sometimes it doesn't always go as planned (the one who wanted natural childbirth and ended up with a C-section) but ultimately, all of her characters seemed to stick to the AP lifestyle as much as their lifestyles allowed.

[Amaranth]

I thought she was making fun of the women who carried it to a ridiculous extreme. A lot of her characters are over the top in some way or other - I think you need some of that exaggeration for a good story.

I agree about the ending, though. It seemed like she was setting it up for a sequel, the way things were left hanging. Her other books all had a more definite wrap everything up feel to it.

[DesireeH]

I think in the book she was just comparing herself and felt like she wasnt measuring up. Or was making a point about not getting lost as your own person even when you become a mother, ykwim?

I've felt like that at playdates before. Like I wasnt "enough" AP...I nursed my kids until age 2 but not age 4....I had a midwife and didnt "catch" my own kid into gloveless hands. Sometimes even in the AP mom setting it seems as if everyone is trying to one up on the crunchiness....I understood where she was coming from at least in the book.

[amcal]

Originally Posted by DesireeH

I think in the book she was just comparing herself and felt like she wasnt measuring up. Or was making a point about not getting lost as your own person even when you become a mother, ykwim?

I've felt like that at playdates before. Like I wasnt "enough" AP...I nursed my kids until age 2 but not age 4....I had a midwife and didnt "catch" my own kid into gloveless hands. Sometimes even in the AP mom setting it seems as if everyone is trying to one up on the crunchiness....I understood where she was coming from at least in the book.

I totally agree with this. I think she's very AP but was writing from the perspective of a real woman who tries her best and sometimes doesn't meet her "ideal" of what an AP mom should be. At least every mom in the book tried to be AP - that's a lot more than most authors do when writing about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.

[lisac77]

Good book, excellent writer overall . I loved Good in Bed, Little Earthquakes, and especially In Her Shoes.

I also feel that she presents a realistic view of AP. People do pick and choose what works for them, and it's very possible to feel self conscious when dealing with those perceived "perfect" mommies that I'm sure we all know.