***Spoiler Alert (parts of the book are discussed) I had forgotten that this book was a memoir until the end. In fact, I thought this was the oddest story that could not be real, but yet was so very detailed. It seemed unreal that a lesbian lawyer who was willing to fraternize with someone who was on the jury, albeit after the case had ended. It also seemed amazing that a straight husband who thought he had a straight wife could be SO understanding, even letting his ex work in his own restaurant well after the split/divorce. I would have liked more details about June. Every book I have read about a homosexual relationship has shown waffling in knowing what is right or wrong to that character. I don't mean as in the world. I mean the conflicts within the person, even when the person made the choices he/she thought he/she most desired. To me that is telling. Your conscience lets you know when something is right or wrong. True, you can override your conscience. To me that explains clearly the panic attacks. And now, if a person is homosexual and riding the line whether or not they want to be male or female want to be referred to as THEY? The world is confusing enough without one person wanting to be a two-in-one. I had problems with Molly not remembering if she had taken care of June, or forgetting her because of her own sexual desires. I am sorry, but I don't think that is a norm among mothers. I got the impression that Molly became lesbian because of a series of odd encounters that she finally acted upon. I know that when people are on jury duty, they have to devote a lot of time to sitting, which leads to daydreaming. I think I could have accepted that Molly made this her life choice, but the child she brought in the world got the short end of the stick. Sorry. That is how I feel. My rating was based on how well the words flowed, with details (sometimes TMI) and how the plot progressed in an order that made sense to me. I wish the best for the author, and hope that history will help her from not repeating mistakes that will especially be detrimental to June. ( )

Reading this was very much like listening to a close friend divulge their deepest secrets and for that reason, it was very enticing - I felt like I was learning the stuff generally people keep well hidden under the rug. I found myself leaning in when she was starting to experience new feelings and questioning her identity and I very much liked this part of the book. Where it dipped for me was in the deep dive of the dissolution of the marriage to her husband. I kept waiting for her to have a moment of freedom in her new life and yet I never got that feeling. To me, it seemed she was still mourning the loss and maybe this is just me wishing for more of a "happy" end. Overall, I really respect Molly Wizenberg for her willingness to be so open and honest about her experience, and I finished the book wishing for her much life happiness. ( )

Not for me. ( )

I love that Molly Wizenberg has the courage and the will to write about something so deeply personal. I have always enjoyed her writing, and I enjoyed this book as well, despite its departure from the world of food. It think it's an intimate portrait of what motherhood and identity lookin like in our time and space, and I think it's very well done. I hope she learns to give herself more credit and cut herself more slack -- growing and changing is hard work, and this is a doozy of personal reinvention.

General note: I found the audio version so off-putting that I almost walked away about half an hour in. Glad I switched to the written version -- might not have had I not already known Wizenberg's work from before. ( )

If this narrator focused only on the story, this memoir would be a novella at most. Instead, she wove in a tapestry of history and philosophy and an ongoing analogy of constellations. Very well-structured and artfully told. The only reason why I didn't give it more stars is because I wanted less art, more substance. ( )