I Don't Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother: A Novel

by Allison Pearson

Book Overview

Delightfully smart and heartbreakingly poignant, Allison Pearson's smash debut novel has exploded onto bestseller lists as "The national anthem for working mothers." Hedge-fund manager, wife, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375414053
• ISBN13: 9780375414053
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 337 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.6" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A Guilty Pleasure

As a working mom logging in over 2,000 billable hours a year outside the home -- I couldn't put the book down. Obviously this book "spoke" to me on a very personal level. It was such a guilty pleasure to read -- when, like Kate, I had Holdiay cards to send, cookies to bake for the school Christmas party and matters of the family to attend to all after coming home from work at 10 pm. But, I'm not sure I would "get" this book or enjoy it much if I hadn't already walked a mile in Kate Reddy's shoes. Of course this book is over the top -- doesn't it have to be to be entertaining? Even I found myself saying "I don't know how she does it." But there are many thoughts in the book that are right-on and thought provoking. Take for example Kate Reddy's observation that fathers that leave work early or schedule business around their family commitments are lauded as "involved fathers" when mothers doing the same are suspected of not being committed to their work or are seen as unreliable or unaccessible. Whether you are a mom working full-time outside the home or not, this and many other insights in the book highlight interesting social issues.I would be interested to know whether this book appeals to stay-at-home moms. I suspect not based on the fact that many of my own stay-at-home friends have little interest in what my life is like and often think that a mother who works full-time outside the home is akin to a mother who eats her young.As for mothers working full-time outside the home, this book is sure to be a winner and a welcomed comic relief. As for myself, I plan to give this book to my mother for Christmas to help her understand the dilemmas of being a professional and a mother of young children and the difficulty of "having it all".

worth savoring, if you can find the time...

For every woman who is a working mom, this book speaks to you. Not all of us can relate to the business trips across the ocean, but I don't know anyone who doesn't struggle with the fact that they leave their children with a babysitter everyday to go to work to make money to pay the babysitter...Funny, tear inducing, sad in places, this book left a place in my heart. Very seldom does a book just reach out and grab you the way this one did me. I was upset that it ended. My one criticism would be that the book seemed a bit rushed in the end.

The story of my life

There are few books that can make a reader laugh out loud, or reach for a cellphone to call the kids just to make sure they were okay. "I Don't Know How She Does It" is one such book. As a former full-time working mother, it was easy for me to relate to her feelings of guilt over time she spent with her kids, anger at not having the home in perfect working order, frustration over her deteriorating relationship with her husband, and excitement over the thrill of a budding email romance.Some critics call the story a fairy tale-- but it could be no further than the truth for me: it was the story of my life, as well as the lives of more than a few of my friends. The book may not be for everyone, but it certainly touches a chord with those of us women who dared to dream of having it all-- a high-profile job, gorgeous husband and children. ...

Kate Reddy is hilarious, tenderhearted, cynical, and TIRED!

What a terrific book! I've shamelessly stolen time and left other "must do" tasks to fend for themselves while I devoured this very smart, very funny, and piercingly accurate book. I've read chunks of this book to my husband, to friends, and e-mailed selected tidbits to my sister. It's that good. ...Kate Reddy doesn't whine; she articulates, with wit and perception, what's so unspeakably tough about the shoes she's walking in. Even if they're fudge-colored pencil heels worn with an Armani suit as corporate armor!

Has Allison Pearson been spying on me??

I just devoured this book on a guilt-ridden business trip and identified so strongly with the character of Kate. It was the first time I have heard the working mom's voice articulated so clearly. I laughed out loud repeatedly on the plane and ultimately felt a little better about the decisions I have made in my life. A must-read.