There is nothing more wonderful than a mother’s love. There is also nothing more annoying. Who else can proudly insist that you’re perfect while simultaneously making you question every career, fashion, and relationship decision you have ever made?
No one understands the delicate mother-daughter dynamic better than Kate Siegel—her own mother drove her so crazy that she decided to broadcast their hilarious conversations on Instagram. Soon, hundreds of thousands of people were following their daily text exchanges, eager to see what outrageous thing Kate’s mom would do next. Now, in Mother, Can You NOT?, Kate pays tribute to the woman who invented the concept of drone parenting.
From embarrassing moments (like crashing Kate’s gynecological exams) to outrageous stories (like the time she made Kate steal a cat from the pound) to hilarious celebrations (including but not limited to parties for Kate’s menstrual cycles), Mother, Can you NOT? lovingly lampoons the lengths to which our mothers will go to better our lives (even if it feels like they’re ruining them in the process).
My Review
I’ve been following crazyjewishmom on Instagram for a while now and it always makes me smile. I love both Kate’s mortified reaction to her mom’s comments and her mom’s awesome off the cuff remarks. So when I saw (on Instagram) that a book was coming out, I put it on my wishlist. And Mother, Can You Not? did not disappoint. It was hilarious.
I read this book as a collection of quirky, hilarious stories that never failed to make me grin. For a while it was my companion in the bubble bath. Soon I found myself reading aloud some of the chapters to my own daughter and laughing with her. I even started recounting some of the stories to my girlfriends (who immediately reacted by saying, “Wait, who did this?”).
Not only does she have a great sense of humour, Kate Siegel is a gifted writer. Her style is open and honest. I felt like I was listening to one of my girlfriends tell me about her quirky mom. And, of course, I finished the book thinking that these are MY kind of people. But more than that I very much enjoyed Kate’s style as a writer. She has the kind of voice that draws the reader in (think Meg Cabot). I hope to see much more from her!
Mother, Can You Not? is the perfect book to gift a friend, share with a colleague or just treat yourself to. Highly recommend it!
Buylink: https://www.amazon.ca/Mother-Can-You-Kate-Siegel/
