Book Review-Newer Books 7

Review—What Do You Do All Day?

Amy Scheibe wrote the novel What Do You Do All Day. St. Martin’s Press published the book. The novel has 305 pages.

Manhattan, like any other city is filled with SAHM’s and SAHD’s (that’s stay-at-home mom’s and dad’s) for those out of the know. Jennifer is a SAHM since the birth of her second child. Her children are healthy and normal. She often wonders and worries if that is so. She wonders if she made the right decision to stay home or if there is even a place for her in the working world, when diapers, children’s programs, and playdates have consumed her days. Her days seldom involve adult conversations or concerns, as her husband travels for work and just left the country for a three-month assignment.

Jennifer, while trying to be the perfect mommy, also faces the reality of not always being perfect. There are just days when not everything goes right, the child you are encouraging to crawl expects to be carried everywhere. It rains when it is supposed to be sunny, and you just may be tricked into believing your husband is having an affair by an old flame. All sorts of things can throw off the day and make you question your decisions. Jennifer believes in her husband, but doubt comes easily when there is great distance and the pressure she often puts on herself to be super mommy. She gets through trials and tribulation with a wicked sense of humor and support systems. Many stay-at-home caregivers often wonder what is on the other side of the fence, just as many career parents wonder the same thing. It can be very difficult to play on both sides and feel like you have it all. Jennifer laughs about many of her situations while showing the strength of character that just may make it possible.

Amy Scheibe has written a novel that makes you laugh on nearly every other page, with a few pages along the way that will have you commiserating with her troubles, from the simple to the intense. Enjoy the ride.