HOW TO PARTY WITH AN INFANT by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Mele thought Bobby would be excited she told him she was pregnant. She definitely didn’t expect him to tell her that he was engaged to another woman. Raising her daughter on her own, she sought out other parents in the San Francisco Moms Club and after a few failed attempts, finally found the perfect group of unconventional, wine-drinking, occasionally pot-smoking moms (and a dad). Now she hopes to fulfill her dreams of becoming a writer by winning the SFMC cookbook competition, blending her best recipes with vignettes about the parents she encounters. And hopefully, by the time she’s done, she’ll have decided whether or not to go to Bobby’s wedding.
Told through a series of vignettes interspersed with Mele’s cookbook application and excerpts from SFMC message boards, this novel will likely appeal most to parents disenchanted with the stereotypical “perfect mom” culture. The plot didn’t grip me or drive me to keep turning pages, but it was an entertaining read that I took at a slow pace (a chapter every couple of days). The snarky narration kept me coming back to read a bit more. Recommended to adults who like realistic fiction, especially parents who enjoy poking fun at mom groups.
Susan the Librarian 