Andrea Askowitz

I wish that I had enjoyed this memoir more. Askowitz is brutally honest about her pregnancy, her ex-girlfriend, her friends, her family, and a friend who died of cancer. She really holds nothing back. And there were definitely some funny parts. But I found her tone very whiny - and I can't fault her for that, since the summary on the back actually uses the word "whiny" to describe the book - and very self-absorbed. I just couldn't relate. She did, however, seem to grow towards the end of the book, especially once she had the child.… (altro)

I was laughing from page one! What a quick and delightful read appropriate for anyone considering parenthood---alone or with another. The fact that Andrea is a lesbian is just a small portion of the tale. Andrea is alone, afraid (at times), moody (often), and contemplative. It's a great mix and a joy to read--as a mother of 3 who can relate to the pregnancy, but not to the loneliness and fear. In retrospect, Andrea spins this into quite a lovely tale. I would love to read a sequel on how Andrea deals with parenthood!!… (altro)

To start, for the random passerby who doesn't know me, I'm going to state that I am male. While I try my best to not be sexist, the fact that I'm male is going to influence how I think and react to some things in life.

In this book, we read about Andrea Askowitz's journey to motherhood. Like many other women today, she's doing it on her own and we read about all that's involved in doing it solo. Andrea doesn't hold back, sometimes being graphic in details about what's involved from walking in to be artificially inseminated to actually giving birth. And unlike many books/stories that are out there about the joys of pregnancy, and the "glorious" lives those women have during it, here we see it for what it really is. Nine months of slowly coming to think the birds have it right just laying eggs.

While this book is touted as a memoir of the time she was pregnant and after giving birth, it's also a journey of self discovery. Yes, she's lonely and miserable, but as time passes she realizes just why. She has, as the saying goes "Pissed in her own coffee." At times she feels the same way all pregnant women must feel for at least some of their pregnancy, but it seems like she takes greater offense at some of the things her family and friends say and do than she should. While I'll grant her some leeway in that SOME of what they do isn't always nice, from my reading it seems it's more a matter of them just dealing with their own day to day lives versus doing them intentionally.

Now, while this book will oft times have you feeling sorry for Andrea, it will also have you laughing at how she deals with some things. Life, after all, has it's humorous moments, whether we want it to or not. She's not afraid to let us see how she makes a fool of herself at times, or how something will make you laugh no matter how down you may be.

All that said, this book was a highly enjoyable read. Male or female, straight or gay, if you're looking for something that may be different from your normal taste in reading, this is worth the time.… (altro)