Enjoying one of the five airplane books

Good thing I have a Kindle.  Usually on a vacation I take about 4 books per week and read less than half of one.  This time, with a lengthy airplane ride and a 2-week vacation, I bought 5 books on Kindle and carried along two paperbacks, in case of electronic emergency.

I did well--I read one and one-half of the Kindle books; neither of the others.  Some day I'm going to figure this out.

Accidentally On Purpose: A One-Night Stand, My Unplanned Parenthood, and Loving the Best Mistake I Ever Made

by Mary Pols


Sometimes an author's sheer honesty can carry a story and this was one of those times.  With other memoirs I've read, I sometimes felt like the author was lying a little, sinning by omission.  That's their privilege, of course--you don't have to tell all to write a great memoir.  But if you choose to do so, it can help.

On the other hand, I felt like this was only half of a story.  Story first, then a very long appendix of personal history, added on in order to bring it up to book length.  The first half of the story--pregnancy and childbirth and a few early months--were fascinating.  Gut wrenching, yes.  Funny, yes a lot!  And sincere.  I learned to love her and baby what's-its-name.

The second half was more about her parents and siblings, a family history from the perspective of a single mother.   I loved it too, since I'd learned to love her, but it wasn't what I'd expected.  Still, she's a right to tell her story the way she wants to tell it.

No matter.  Wonder if she'll write a sequel in a few years?