Mary F. Pols

I found the author of this memoir to be alternately needy and strident, which was off-putting. It was fairly well-written and parts of it were interesting, but more of it was maddening as she struggles to make the father of her child into something he clearly has no wish to be. It seems that at the very end of the book a light comes on and she begins to accept that he's a good dad but not interested in a relationship with her, but really, how long did it take to reach that conclusion? The relationship with her son seems almost secondary, an afterthought to the working out of her relationships with men and her parents. Claustrophobically intimate.… (meer)

Mary Pols always wanted to be a mother - but not quite like this. A one night stand with a man ten years her junior sets up a long list of relationships she has to deal with: her father, siblings, Matt and eventually her son.

Idealism plays a large part on how Mary tries to deal with Matt, her co-parent -to-be. Ranging from desires for a traditional relationship to the realization of how their dynamic eventually works, Mary comes off at times harsh and judgmental of Matt's inability to be what she wants him to be. However, she learns over the next years to find a way to compromise and learns to create the best relationship they can have for their son, without her having to "raise two children".

Sympathetic and maddening at times, Mary Pols gives readers a honest view into her path to reaching a goal through unconventional means. I believe Mary did her best to be honest about the relationships with people in her life through the memoir, but still can only give her side of the story.… (meer)