Book Review
If anyone knows how to make lemonade out of life's lemons -- when it comes to parenting and being a mother, Lela Davidson, the first-time author of Blacklisted from the PTA, is clearly a front-runner. Just released this summer, her new book is as entertaining as it is sympathetic to what it's really like to be a mommy precariously juggling a busy and challenging family life today that revolves around children with a supporting but often absent cast that includes an adoring hubbie.
Blacklisted from the PTA, Jupiter Press
Having met Lela in recent months at several women's blogging conferences including SheCon in Miami and BlogHer 11 in San Diego, I can vouch for her happy go lucky personality and fun-loving spirit. On the one hand, she's the mom next door that's just like the rest of us trying to balance the joys and follies of family togetherness. What sets her apart when it comes to kid wrangling, though, is that she has the gift of articulating aloud what most of us other moms are only thinking.
This is definitely a woman (and real-life mom to a young son and daughter) who knows what she's talking about. For sure, the content that's loaded into Blacklisted from the PTA speaks to haggard moms everywhere who struggle with mommying their flocks, day in and day out.
The beauty is that this 62 essay book is easy on the minds of stressed-out mothers. Each vignette is written to be read in the 5 minutes or less that any of us typically can muster between all the demands of family life. With so many distractions in our lives -- and little energy left at the end of any day -- this book makes it a breeze to skip around to pick and choose to read just the bits that provide a little comic relief to each of our particular situations.
What mom won't appreciate the fact that there's finally an author that really gets it, that can actually help us laugh about the decks that we've each been dealt? From birth and babies to the terrible twos, suburban bliss -- to sitting in the driveway drinking Chardonnay with lady neighbor friends and carving out "me time," Lela has covered it all. For sure, the namesake Blacklisted section has got to be read to be truly appreciated. So if you're wondering, don't miss the chapter Seven Surefire Ways to Get Blacklisted from the PTA.
But here's the shocker. You'd never guess that this incredibly talented writer of real-life humorous short stories based on her own experiences as a mom, previously had a successful career as an accountant. Whoever bashes accountants for being dull and boring, all I can say is I guess they don't know Lela Davidson!
In addition to her first of what I hope will be many titles for us overwhelmed mothers, Lela is managing editor of ParentingSquad.com and associate editor of Peekaboo Magazine. She writes frequently for family and parenting publications and contributed to Chicken Soup for the Soul: New Moms.
Blacklisted from the PTA by Lela Davidson, available as a paperback for $15.00, is published by Jupiter Press, imprint of Wyatt-MacKenzie.
Would love to hear your own mommy war stories so we can laugh a little together. Whatever your challenge, as long as it's funny, you are encouraged to share it as a comment.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of the book to facilitate this review. However, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
