11 Comments
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Penelope's avatar

Hi, is there a chance you could provide another book seller’s link for this? I’d love to pre-order, CYK sounds right up my Strasse, but having closed my Amazon account mid-January, I’m a bit stuck. Thanks.

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Laura's avatar

If it makes you feel any better on the jealousy front, I summoned all my courage to leave my corporate job to write a novel last year. It's a London-set Brexity romcom. Meg Wolitzer is basically my favourite writer ever. Jessica Stanley's agent Lizzy Kremer was one of my dream agents and rejected me. When I saw people falling over themselves to promote this one I thought I literally might die of envy. But she seems like a great person, and it's her second book so it's not one of those out-of-nowhere debut smashes by a 23-year-old that gnaws at me. And who knows, perhaps if it's really popular publishers might be roaming the halls crying out for more London-set Brexity romcoms and she will, in fact, have done me a huge favour?

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Helena's avatar

I'm at ages 7 and 4. But I just can't really relate to many 'motherhood is so difficult' stories. I wonder if I have incredible mental resilience or incredibly low expectations for what I want life to be/look like. I'm spoiled with a good job that I don't need to keep a roof over our heads, and I've let go of any career ambition now and maybe that's the answer. Stops me giving a fuck about work. And then I think my aspiration for what sort of mother I'd be veers into being a bit TOO boomer for our collective good.

The sleep thing was torture.

On further reflection, I have a really fucking good husband. He's done the lions share of the earning taking that pressure off me, and he's very house-proud so isn't a dick about tidying etc when he's at home. He doesn't cook at all, but will skivvy with the best of us. That's the answer ladies. Marry well. It's a joint enterprise.

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Peabody Bites's avatar

A series of sweeping generalisations - but in my opinion and experience a really fucking good husband is the difference between retaining career ambition/propulsion AND/OR some semblance of independent thought AND/OR a social life

Those who have a useless, emotionally absent, lazy, thoughtless or (worst of all!) a well intentioned but incompetent one have given up on the above.

Bringing up kids without a partner is incredibly tough in different ways but at least you don’t suffer from the same crushing disappointment and frustration that the person who is supposed to be a partner in the enterprise just isn’t

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MrsLTh's avatar

Sounds good, I am just about far enough out of the heavy lifting years to cope with this

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Rebecca and Claire's avatar

You once said that if if you were still with your husband when your second child reached 18 months, your marriage was solid. Now my youngest is 19 months old I needed a new mantra, so 'when your youngest is three, you get your life back a bit' is very timely. Claire x

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Esther's avatar

it was true and I think probably remains true

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Rebecca's avatar

My youngest turned 3 last week. And it definitely feels like the balance is shifting. But when she goes to nursery in September I know I’m probably going to miss it all! Including the crazy, manic, anxiety inducing madness of baby/toddlerhood, which is all I’ve known for 6 years. Because, even though it didn’t feel it with my first newborn, the time goes so fast! And they’re only little once! 😭

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Esther's avatar

there is definitely a morning period for all that but they don't stop needing you 👍🏻👍🏻

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Becky G's avatar

Looking forward to this, thanks Esther. Pre-ordered.

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Lucy's avatar

Ditto!

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