A review by greensalbet
The New One: Painfully True Stories from a Reluctant Dad by Mike Birbiglia

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

In The New One, partners Jenny, (Poet - J. Hope Stein) and Mike (Comedian - M. Birbiglia) decide to make a baby. They don't do it because it's expected of them but because Jenny really, really wants to have a child and to be a mother.  Mike isn't sure this is what he wants, but he decides to go ahead and do it for Jenny. Once they agree to take the plunge, Mikes spends most of the book sharing the health challenges they faced creating their baby, dealing with the anxiety once they did get pregnant, then tempering all the fears of the unknown about new parenthood, especially Mike's concern that their lives were about to change forever.

This is the one, and only, book I've read that chronicles a man's experience about "What to Expect When You're Expecting."  It's full of delightful candor, nerve wracking tension, and both snarky and sweet humor that will delight any reader who's been child or had a child. Plus, it includes some creative  poetry by Jenny. She shows how pregnancy, labor & delivery, and parenting a toddler add delight to her life.

These two Brooklynites have an adorable marriage. They are very REAL about the highs and lows of what it takes to succeed as long-term companions -- and they've both lovingly and hilariously creative about how they do it.