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Jenny Fiore

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After Birth: Unconventional Writings From the Mommylands Paperback – March 16, 2013

by Jenny Fiore (Author)

4.7 17 ratings

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Author Jenny Fiore did not give birth to her baby in a sacred glacial lake. She failed in the art of cloth-diaper origami. And her placenta is not fertilizing a mango tree in her backyard—and not because she ate it. She does, however, dwell in the world where these things happen. Welcome to the Mommylands, where all mothers go in the years beyond the birthing suite. Through contemplative essays, tongue-in-cheek screenplay excerpts, and saucily imagined correspondence, Fiore shares her hilarious and poignant experiences as a mother in today’s world of how-to manuals and helicopter parenting. Like a would-be shaman with dried spit-up on her yoga pants, she navigates her children through everything from death to tampons. Follow her from droopy-boob-fixes to brushes with booger-eating, and from a parent’s fears in a terrorized world to her everyday brushes with the divine. The pieces in After Birth are just the right serving size for a mommy’s stolen-away moments of solitude. Often, sadly, these occur on the toilet, so this book is waterproof. Not really. This is life after birth.

Print length

168 pages
Language

English
Publication date

March 16, 2013
Dimensions

5 x 0.38 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0615770584
ISBN-13

978-0615770581
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Possibilities Publishing Company (March 16, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0615770584
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0615770581
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.38 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #983,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,945 in Humor Essays (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 17 ratings

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Jenny Fiore

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Former magazine writer Jenny Fiore is a Pushcart Prize special mention honoree for creative nonfiction and has shared her writing onstage as part of the celebrated Listen to Your Mother show. She has written two books, and her writing appears in multiple anthologies, including the acclaimed anthology Listen to Your Mother: What She Said Then, What We're Saying Now (Putnam, April 2015).

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4.7 out of 5

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Amazon Customer

Honest and funny!

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2013

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Jenny Fiore is very funny--but what makes this book a stand-out is its uncompromising honesty. The institution of motherhood is every bit as gilded with the blindingly bright patina of romance as the institution of marriage. The actual experience of motherhood, broadly overlooked, is much more entertaining and informative than the idyll.

The conflict that many creative women have about motherhood is evident in Fiore's book, in which Fiore observes her situation and her children with intense interest--yet her subject, while an inspiration--nearly drains the author's reservoirs of time and energy. Mothering young children (sans nannies and au pairs) requires a form of sacrifice that borders on sabotage. In that way as well, this book is a triumph: An inspiration for any of us, man or woman, who is giving so much to others that the greater challenge is in preserving that which makes us who we are.

Bottom line: This book is well written, intelligent, funny, and incidentally insightful.

One person found this helpful

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Jjuuy

Enjoyable

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2013

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I enjoyed reading this collection of essays related to parenting. Some were funny, some touching but all were well-written. Especially meaningful to parents of young children.

One person found this helpful

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MK

humorous and heartfelt memories of motherhood

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2013

Verified Purchase

Fiore wastes no words getting down to the heart of motherhood. Her unapologetic humor pulled me right into her world, connecting me with her laughter, helplessness, longing, and the hope tucked deeply inside of her memories. This is the kind of book that can be picked up right where it was left off, like visiting with an old friend. And as with friendship, I'm still reflecting on heartfelt pieces and laughing at others, because even though they were her stories, she shared them in a way that made them feel like they could've been mine. Motherhood can be a lonely journey, but it doesn't have to be--not when there are authors like Fiore sharing their truths and helping you laugh at your own.

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Darran J. Haessig

Dangerously Good

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2013

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I made the mistake of reading a portion of this book while waiting for a plane in New York's LaGuardia airport. Judging by the dirty looks from my fellow travelers, I think I nearly earned a punitive TSA cavity search due to my disruptive outbursts of laughter. Jenny does a great job sharing a humorous, loving, and occasionally poignant glimpse into the realities of the modern mom. As a dad, I appreciate the insight into the confusing and sometimes scary territory of the Mommylands.

One person found this helpful

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Marcella

Love

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2014

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I bought this book a while back and finally remembered to write a review! I love love all the quirky stories and found myself laughing over many of the posts in the book!! Highly recommend for a good laugh whether you are a parent or not!

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Elizabeth Edmunds

Great Read!

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2013

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I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in need of a good laugh. I caught myself laughing out loud throughout the entire book. The author has such a humorous way of looking at life's little ups and downs. I can't wait for her second book!

2 people found this helpful

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QuincyCat

Hilarious and touching

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2013

Verified Purchase

I would recommend this gem to anyone with a sense of humor...mom or not; so pretty much everyone. Great writing. Can't wait to read the next one!

One person found this helpful

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AJ

More Important Than 'What To Expect When You're Expecting'

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2013

I loved it! This book gives more useful information in the first hilarious two pages than every parenting book we are forced to read before having kids, combined. It's funny, insightful, inciteful, and honest to the point of cringeworthy. Just a couple pages in and you'll realize the most important thing you need to do when you have kids - don't stop being a real person. The author points out all the crazy things we are lead to believe "good parents" have to do and how impossible and wrong it is to try to do them all.

So sit down, relax, read this book and revel in the knowledge that you don't have to be perfect to be a good parent, or a good person.

2 people found this helpful

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