mamabh 's review for:

I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood by Jessi Klein

---

I hope this book is inspiring and encouraging to readers. At first I struggled because it felt like there was no resolution to any of the things Klein wrestled with. And then, when she talked about hiring a night nurse in addition to her nanny, it clicked for me: this books feels to me like she is trying to validate herself. She doesn’t offer hope or encouragement to her readers. And she says things like how proud she is to have raised such a nice boy, but her kid was 4 at the time of her writing the essay. He was (is) still little when she wrote this, so she doesn’t have any expertise except her own truth. I’ve concluded that while the majority of us (or maybe just me) desperately try to find real-life validation, affirmation, and encouragement as new mothers through relationships and things like mom groups or play dates, this woman pursues these things through hiring help and writing. I am not criticizing her at all for this, nor am I saying it’s not valid; this gave me a better perspective on finishing the book, although I almost stopped multiple times. I enjoy her personality and writing style, and I appreciate her experiences, but the book just kind of depressed me. And I hope I’m the exception.