Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year

Anne Lamott's story of her son Sam's first year of life is unquestionably the most honest and delightful book about parenting that has been published. Lamott (Crooked Little Heart) is a great writer and educator who is also a single mother and former alcoholic with a pleasantly distorted social group and a marvelously tolerant faith to rely on. She reacts with either grace or sheer craziness to the changes, tiredness, and love Sam provides. When a very close friend becomes sick and Sam's developing life is pitted against this, the narrative shifts from humorous to very tragic. This is not a corny ode to being a parent; rather, it explores the anger and confusion that accompany the joyous feelings throughout this profound transformation in a person's life.