Sorry, the Stork Takes No Returns - Claire Bowen

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

"Sorry, the Stork Takes No Returns" bears the sub-title, "Stories for the Family-Challenged." Author Claire Bowen is the author of the award-winning newspaper column which inspired this book, a collection of thoughts and musings from the busy mother of five from Georgia. Through the pages of the book, she explores such topics as back-to-school shopping in a super-center and running the risk of getting the tortillas mixed up with the backpacks and binders. One chapter is entitled "Grim Reaper: Take a Number," wherein she tells us that she has no time to die; she's too busy doing everything else under the sun and death will just have to wait until she's darn good and ready. She laments the fact that renting a tuxedo for the prom can run you a cool $75, but realizes that the memories created are priceless.

Claire's writing voice is wry and ironic, somewhat reminiscent of Erma Bombeck. I picture a mother hanging on by her fingernails, doing her best to keep her sanity, but realizing underneath it all that it's worth it. She even mentions how the craziness around her house is her ultimate inspiration for her writing, and that her children met her at the door one day, telling her they had an article idea for her before allowing her to see the mess they had created.

I enjoyed the stories in this book quite a bit. There were some that I felt were a little abbreviated and could have been longer to give the reader a more complete picture of the circumstances involved, and a few times I felt that the chapter had come to an end without the author fully developing her point. But it was "excessively diverting," and I look forward to seeing the other volumes in the "Family-Challenged" book series, of which this is the first volume.

As an interesting side note, this book is punctuated with cute pencil-sketch illustrations from artist Gaynell Parker.

(This book was published in 2006 by Rosehaven.) Related Blogs:

Great Marriage Humorists

Lighten Up, Mom!

Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I am a stay-at-home mom, author of eight published books, a freelance editor, and the mother of four incredible children. I enjoy scrapbooking, watching good movies, and taking naps.

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