There Are No Grown-ups

There Are No Grown-ups: A Midlife Coming-of-Age Story by Pamela Druckerman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked up this book because I read an excerpt published in the New York Times and was totally hooked. I resonate with the idea of looking around and expecting what I call "certifiable adults" to enter a room, only to realize that my peers and I are the adults. Druckerman's book focuses more on being in your 40s, but I, as a 30-something, still found her thoughts and anecdotes relatable. That said, I don't think Pamela and I are meant to be future BFFs who are going to go do dinner while our husbands are out at a basketball game. Our world views are wildly different on some subjects, and so a few of her chapters that are meant to be progressive, especially the ones on sexuality and her husband's birthday, read as juvenile or too one-sided.

All that said, this is probably a 2.5, but it was a perfect escape as I wrapped up the school year. I cannot recommend it to my more conservative of friends. If you liked her book on French parenting ideas (I didn't realize this was the same woman until part way through the book because I haven't read that one yet), then you will fall right back into her narrative style. If you're turning 40 this year, it might be an ideal read, but Nora Ephron's "I Feel Bad About My Neck" is more my style.

Happy reading!