Yet another book that has been languishing on my shelve for literal years – this seems to be a theme lately! This one came to my attention when I was unpacking my books after a recent move. I was looking for something on the light side, that would make me feel any kind of connection with someone who maybe wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows all the time. This book definitely delivered.
I really enjoyed this. Mann is a working mom who lives with her husband and kids in an American suburb. She, therefore, has the typical white, middle-class, suburban mom issues. These often take the form of judgment from other moms and comparing herself to moms around her who, inevitably, seem to have a better handle on all this mom stuff than she does. For any other moms out there – we’ve all been there, right?
But I liked that she’s bluntly and sometimes harshly honest about her experiences. She’s also practical and isn’t about to ruin her life to compete in the mom wars. For example, she and her husband hate to clean, and they’re not good at it. So they hire someone to clean for them. This possibly saves their marriage, and definitely saves her sanity. It also means her kids aren’t growing up in a pile of unwashed laundry and dirty dishes. Is it a privileged decision? Yes. Is it one she’ll be judged for? Sure. But does she care? Nope.
It’s been a while since I read this book, so a lot of the specifics have gotten away from me, but I’m left with an overall impression of a book that contains the mom friend I’ve spent the past several years looking for. The one who wears pyjamas to school pick up, who doesn’t want to talk to other moms before having coffee (or, you know, ever), the mom who definitely judges the perfect moms every bit as much as they’re judging her, and who really isn’t afraid to call out ridiculous mom shit. Where have you been all my life, Jen???
All that to say, if you’re a flustered, foul-mouthed, overwhelmed mom who doesn’t always make it to the PTA meetings and who thinks all the mom drama is just annoying, this is the book for you. It’s real life, real opinions, and completely unfiltered. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you nod, and it’ll definitely make you roll your eyes right along with her. Very funny, very refreshing.
A debut collection of witty, biting essays laced with a surprising warmth, from Jen Mann, the writer behind the popular blog People I Want to Punch in the Throat
People I want to punch in the throat:
• anyone who feels the need to bling her washer and dryer
• humblebraggers
• people who treat their pets like children
Jen Mann doesn’t have a filter, which sometimes gets her in trouble with her neighbors, her fellow PTA moms, and that one woman who tried to sell her sex toys at a home shopping party. Known for her hilariously acerbic observations on her blog, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Mann now brings her sharp wit to bear on suburban life, marriage, and motherhood in this laugh-out-loud collection of essays. From the politics of joining a play group, to the thrill of mothers’ night out at the gun range, to the rewards of your most meaningful relationship (the one you have with your cleaning lady), nothing is sacred or off-limits. So the next time you find yourself wearing fuzzy bunny pajamas in the school carpool line or accidentally stuck at a co-worker’s swingers party, just think, What would Jen Mann do? Or better yet, buy her book. – Goodreads
Book Title: People I Want to Punch in the Throat
Author: Jen Mann
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook/Paperback
Published By: Ballantine Books
Released: September 9, 2014
Genre: Fiction, Relationships, Motherhood, Modern Pressures, Community
Pages: 208
Date Read: July 1-2, 2023
Rating: 7/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.62/5 (12,877 ratings)