THE GIFT OF AN ORDINARY DAY: REVIEW & A "QUICKIE" GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE GIFT OF AN ORDINARY DAY
BY KATRINA KENISON

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Gift of an Ordinary Day is an intimate memoir of a family in transition-boys becoming teenagers, careers ending and new ones opening up, an attempt to find a deeper sense of place, and a slower pace, in a small New England town. It is a story of mid-life longings and discoveries, of lessons learned in the search for home and a new sense of purpose, and the bittersweet intensity of life with teenagers--holding on, letting go. Poised on the threshold between family life as she's always known it and her older son's departure for college, Kenison is surprised to find that the times she treasures most are the ordinary, unremarkable moments of everyday life, the very moments that she once took for granted, or rushed right through without noticing at all. The relationships, hopes, and dreams that Kenison illuminates will touch women's hearts, and her words will inspire mothers everywhere as they try to make peace with the inevitable changes in store.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

KATRINA KENISON has been the annual editor of The Best American Short Stories since 1990. Along with John Updike, she edited The Best American Short Stories of the Century, a New York Times bestseller. Also the coeditor of Mothers: Twenty Stories of Contemporary Motherhood, she has written essays that have appeared in such publications as Redbook and Ladies' Home Journal. Katrina Kenison lives outside of Boston with her husband and their two sons.


MY REVIEW/REACTION:

I found this a very relatable story, especially if you are a parent in your "middle ages" when you start to question certain goals and begin to change priorities. What is most important in life? This is a book that lets you know it is OK to take some time for yourself and not let all your world revolve around others. What do you want out of life? Have you made a "bucket list"?

Kenison writes beautifully sometimes seeming effortless, but relay so much. She tells in this memoir about the simple kinds of things we all experience like growing older, and learning to accept our feelings toward our children when they leave home. How things change in our lives like perhaps a new home or job is now part of your once solid world. Suddenly, you realize your role in life isn't what you thought it was, or at least it has changed a great deal. Finding how to deal with your children, relate to them changes so drastically as they grow up and it is often so hard for women to take unless they can step back and analyze it.

The author lives a life different from mine in many ways, but perhaps only on the surface. Her special child who is in a class with special needs children has a lot to overcome. Also, her family makes major changes like moving and job losses but with it all, they go on. Understanding that the real importance in life comes from the little moments, those tiny treasures that we keep in our hearts and minds, these make a difference. That part is something I can relate to very well. A thoughtful read, moves along well enough although I did think it could have been a bit shorter. The writing however is extraordinary!

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Anna and the
Hachette Book Group, I have
five copies to give away.

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