Book Review: Anything is Possible

Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout

If you have not read anything by Elizabeth Strout, you need to start today. She has quickly become one of my favorite writers. I was so disappointed when I missed an opportunity to hear he speak locally.

Strout is a master storyteller and has a beautiful way with words. In fact, I feel silly even trying to review her because she is so phenomenal. How do you review someone with a talent like hers? I’ll give it my best shot.

I recently had the opportunity to read her upcoming novel, Anything is Possible (which will be released this upcoming Tuesday - April 25th). Strout’s newest work picks up with characters readers were introduced to in My Name is Lucy Barton. While there are plenty of overlaps, you can read this new book without having read Lucy Barton.

For those unfamiliar with Strout’s works, she writes vignettes of ordinary, everyday people. It may sound boring, but with her eye for detail and character development, it is fascinating. She draws you into these stories in a way that makes you feel like she is pulling back the curtains and peering into homes. These are hidden stories, but they are honest stories.

Anything is Possible once again allows readers to see what they wouldn’t normally see behind closed doors. And, since these are ordinary people, it is easy to imagine these are people who live on your street. It is raw and ugly at times, but it is also hopeful and moving. I picked up the book and didn’t put it down until I was finished (and with little kids, that is quite the accomplishment).

The title of this book is everything. Thrown back into the town Lucy Barton grew up as a poor child, readers are introduced to several other townspeople. We hear their stories. We learn about their hardships. Most importantly, we see how anything is possible.

* I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

* You may purchase a hardcover edition of this book from amazon here. This is an affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Working Mom, SAHM, WAHM - Does It Matter?

There are many moms who would love to stay home with their babies, but they have to go to work.

There are many moms who would love to go to work, but they have to stay home with their babies.

There are many moms, like me, who are caught in the in-between and work from home.

One of these is not better or worse than the other.

When I transitioned out of the classroom to working from home, I was pregnant with my first child. I was excited to have the opportunity to stay home and work at home. However, I worked very little and made even less. I did it because I wanted to work.

Some women have the luxury of staying at home and not working.

Some women have the luxury of staying at home and not working but work anyway.

Some women do not have the luxury of staying at home, so they work.

Some women do not have the luxury of working because they cannot afford the childcare.

One of these is not worse or better than the other.

This is how I work at home most days

Why do I want to work if I don’t necessarily have to?

Because I like to feel like I’m contributing something. Because I enjoy it. Because I like to not feel like I buy a cute shirt for myself without feeling guilty. Because I want my kids to see me work. Because I have the degrees. Because terrible things happen – husbands move on, pass away, lose their jobs. Because at work I get reviewed and am told I am doing a great job.

Why do the other women I know not work?

Because they cannot afford it. Because they totally love being able to stay home with their children. I have friends who excel in the art of motherhood. They craft like Pinterest Queens. They make meals for their family that have ingredients I don’t even know exist. They play on the floor with their kids for hours. They have patience, patience, patience.

What about the rest?

I have spent the last several years fully immersed in the mommy world. I have heard from women who hate staying at home and are anxious to go back to work (heck, I start looking up jobs about the second week of summer each year). I have friends who threw parties when they quit their jobs to stay at home.

Women have told me they feel like they are judged for staying home – women have told me they feel like they are judged for working. One mom friend is a lawyer who told me she feels like she is judged for being a working mom. I laughed and told her I “feel the room” before deciding if I will say I am a “stay at home mom” or a “work at home mom” because I feel like certain groups respond to these answers differently.

The Reality?

If you work outside the home, work in the home or stay at home, you are working. No mom can have it all or do it all. But, we can encourage each other instead of feeling threatened by one another. Because it is all hard. Really hard.

I work with a child in my lap a lot of days. I am thankful I get to be in the in-between. But it still isn’t easy.