The Not Good Enough Mother by Sharon Lamb was not really what I hoped it would be. I won a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway, and it sounded like it would offer an insiders view of what it was like to work as someone who could recommend parents be reunited or permanently separated from their children. Also this is non-fiction, I like to inform my internet people because I know not everyone reads non-fiction.
What this book actually was as a rambling assessment of other parents and children, and the authors own issues and regrets and guilt with her own children. She had two sons who ended up addicted to drugs, and often her stories about other parents lead her to some rumination of only one of her son's addiction and rehab process.
What I wanted in this book was stories about the woman's work, and less about her life. Also, she continued to state that people either were or weren't "good enough." I get that this was part of the title, and I get that she needed to make sure that people understood her branding, but it got tiresome. At the end I wasn't quite sure what I had read, and I wasn't quite sure I had enjoyed it. I, personally, felt muddled, like I was being judged by someone who only knew me from tests she felt were relevant. In fact, proving how muddled this book was, there was an entire section on the Rorschach test and how it came into existence, then the author stated that she couldn't say any of the secrets about how they were read because she would be giving away secrets. I rolled my eyes at that. Her attempts at humor fell flat.
So, while I was excited to read this book, I felt it glossed over the things that should have been important, and it left me wondering why she had inserted herself into it so deeply. I can't say I recommend this, even with the several good reviews that is had. For me it was a little too shallow.
What this book actually was as a rambling assessment of other parents and children, and the authors own issues and regrets and guilt with her own children. She had two sons who ended up addicted to drugs, and often her stories about other parents lead her to some rumination of only one of her son's addiction and rehab process.
What I wanted in this book was stories about the woman's work, and less about her life. Also, she continued to state that people either were or weren't "good enough." I get that this was part of the title, and I get that she needed to make sure that people understood her branding, but it got tiresome. At the end I wasn't quite sure what I had read, and I wasn't quite sure I had enjoyed it. I, personally, felt muddled, like I was being judged by someone who only knew me from tests she felt were relevant. In fact, proving how muddled this book was, there was an entire section on the Rorschach test and how it came into existence, then the author stated that she couldn't say any of the secrets about how they were read because she would be giving away secrets. I rolled my eyes at that. Her attempts at humor fell flat.
So, while I was excited to read this book, I felt it glossed over the things that should have been important, and it left me wondering why she had inserted herself into it so deeply. I can't say I recommend this, even with the several good reviews that is had. For me it was a little too shallow.
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