While not intended for the purpose, this book might work better than a condom in reducing population growth. Reading Child of Mine is sure to give any woman pause before becoming pregnant, because the contributors hold nothing back in their accounts of their early experiences as mothers. Sleep deprivation, cracked nipples, near insanity -- it's all there. The more pleasant aspects of motherhood are depicted as well, but as any "experienced" parent will tell you, the first year in particular is the most grueling, the boot camp of parenting, if you will. Too often I felt that these writer-mothers' stories lacked perspective, some sort of retrospective comments to indicate that after the kid hits 18 months or so, things get much easier. But perhaps that's the point. In that first year or so we don't have perspective. We are trapped in a baby-care and -concern time warp from which there seems no immediate escape. The authors have followed editor Kline's directive to capture their first-year experiences, and the resulting collection of essays takes us from conception forward through the new-mother adventure. While mothers may find that no one of the scenarios exactly describes their own experience, collectively, they describe a sort of Everymom to whom we all can relate. Piece together this woman's breastfeeding experience, that woman's socioeconomic circumstances, another woman's level of attachment, and most moms will be able to find a mothering experience with which to identify. Child of Mine is a nice complement to the other baby-and-child nonfiction on the shelves. Those of us who are already mothers are in a little safer position to enjoy the book: The fact that we even have time to read the authors' essays is testament to the fact that parenting's maniacal pace has slowed down to a civil level. The sad fact is that the audience who might most benefit from the shared experiences in this book are new mothers, who are least likely to have time to read it. That leaves us with parents who are still expecting their children, by birth or adoption. Proceed with caution. You might think you know what to expect the first year, but those handbook-type books don't tell the whole story. Short of the actual parenting experience, Child of Mine provides the most helpful and valid overview of what you're in for your first year on the job.

I was searching for a book to give a friend who was curious about motherhood and I read this all the way through before giving it to her. Her comment was,"I don't know if this makes it easier or harder to make the decision to have a child!" I agree wholeheartedly - as the mother of a 2 year old the stories in this book are a synchonicity of awe, wonder, exhaustion, frustration and many of the other emotions that occur during the first year of parenthood. I am ordering another copy for a friend who has a five year old and is due to have a baby in August. I think this will be a great refresher...

This is an absolutely wonderful collection of first-time-mother experiences, and I've given this book as a gift to many of my new-mom friends. I ordered this as part of a batch of mommy books from Amazon without thinking too much (impulse buy), but it quickly became my favorite...so much so that I bought a few extra copies as loaners and gifts so I'd always have my own on hand. Much to my delight, I found an essay by Sarah Bird, my favorite writer, but almost every story is meaningful and relevant. This group of writers brings you into the community of mothers, across age, race, and income. The introduction is also worth reading, because it explains how first time mothers really hunger to find out whether their experiences are unique and isolating, or universal. We want to read other accounts not so much to benchmark ourselves but to reassure ourselves that the sometimes overwhelming and exhilarating feelings of first-time motherhood are normal and shared.

I read 'Child of Mine' during my pregnancy many times and since then many many times over. I expected to find the same joy in reading this new collection of parenting stories, but although most are well written, sometimes poignant, definitely moving - I did not find that as a whole the book worked well. I think the editor was perhaps a liitle confused as to the true focus of the book, and as a result the stories veer off to strange directions, not really connected and not giving a satisfying feeling at the end of the reading. Still I have to say that I am glad I read it as each tale gives a new perspective omn the daunting joy that is parenthhood, and I do recommend it as an addition to Child of Mine.

I had really enjoyed the same editor's volume of essays on parenting in the first year, called 'Child of Mine', and so I was anxious to read this book, which contains essays by various authors on their experiences in raising children a little older (generally between two and ten years of age).

At first I was slightly disappointed because a number of the essays didn't seem to be of immediate interest to me personally, and because this collection did not seem to have the same coherence as the first. But after I began to read, I found myself making little notes of agreement in the margins, underlining sympathetic or insightful passages, and smiling at the experiences similar to my own. Even when an essay was not immediately relevant to me (such as the selections on adoption and raising twins), I found instances of shared experience with the writers, who seemed to be as awestruck and profoundly affected as me by their adventures in parenting.

Oddly enough, in reviewing the book, I found I most enjoyed the selections by the male contributors -- delighted at similarities of common experience and enlightened by the differences -- often told with great humor. So this book also helped me to appreciate the unique experience of fatherhood.

Very enjoyable.

As my daughter grew from a baby to a toddler, I found myself as confused about parenting books as I was about her clothing size. No books seemed to fit my needs: I no longer wanted the "new parent hand holding" books, but I didn't feel ready to approach this new stage without the comfort I've always derived from reading thoughtful -- and thought-provoking -- essays about personal experiences similar to my own. When a friend told me about "Room To Grow" I was relieved; when I started to read the essays, I was ecstatic. This book was exactly what I was looking for: smart, moving pieces about the kind of parenting issues the parenting books ignore. I am certain I'll come back to this book again and again as my daughter grows older. Every parent should know about this collection.

A fan of Baker Kline's since her first novel SWEET WATER, she shows that she hasn't lost her touch as a talented writer with this new book. Christina Baker Kline has written a powerful story about friendship, family, loss, and redemption. Her characters are so real, the plot fresh, and the dialogue crisp. You become so involved in Katherine's search for her missing friend, Jennifer, -- and Katherine's own search to find herself -- you will not be able to put the book down until you turn the last page. Desire Lines is definitely one of the best new books of 1999.

Desire Lines is a hugely enjoyable read for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it does not fit squarely into any specific genre. I am not at all sure where the Gen-X tag is coming from, to approach the book with that in mind is to begin with an unnecessary preconceived notion. At no point during the book did I find myself pausing to wonder if anyone would actually say that, if anyone would actually do that, if such things could actually take place. The story is eminent and the existential dilemmas are enough to inspire empathy in any person. The scattered bad things I have read about this book seem to have been written by people who didn't actually read it and could not conceivably be more off base. Do yourself a favor, buy two. One for yourself and one for someone you love. Or like.

I really enjoyed this book. While the story is about a best friend's disappearance 10 yrs prior on the night of high school graduation, the real focus of the book is someone coming to terms with themself. Revisiting the disappearance of her friend on that fateful night, with ten yrs life experience and disappointments under her belt, allows the narrator to discover who she is and, ultimately, through this process to unravel the mystery. A worthwhile read that approaches a typical subject matter from a different angle with winning results...