The Diary of an Honest Mum by Jools Oliver

From the Publisher

A warm, candid look at the ups and downs of pregnancy and motherhood -- written by Jamie Oliver's wife

Being pregnant for the first time changed Jools Oliver's life. Having longed for children as far back as she can remember, she was suddenly faced with an array of unfamiliar, unexpected, and sometimes downright embarrassing emotional and physical reactions. So when Poppy (and a year later, Daisy) was born, she had to learn a whole new set of skills.

From "minus nine" (her first positive pregnancy test) to "one" (Poppy's first birthday), Jools takes you through the worries, surprises, excitement, miracles, and very hard work that she -- and all new moms in their own different ways -- had to face along the way.

Down to earth, personal, and very very funny, this is the book no aspiring mother will want to be without.

Jools Oliver lives with her husband Jamie and two little girls in London and Essex. The Diary of an Honest Mum is her first book.

Publishers Weekly

Memoirs on motherhood focus either on a particular aspect, like a preemie birth or juggling work and baby, or are otherwise beautifully written, capturing the dizzying highs and the treacherous lows of motherhood. Oliver's, unfortunately, is neither. Oliver, a former model married to Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, gave birth to two girls within a year of each other. Her memoir-which follows her pregnancy and the first year with her older child, Poppy-is littered with clich s and clunky writing ("Everything had to smell `fresh' to me-that's the only way I can describe it. But, ironically, I didn't like air fresheners-oh, it's a barmy old world!") and some of British Oliver's advice runs counter to what most American OBs will tell you ("A good tip... was not to slather my nipples in specialized nipple cream but to allow them to dry and crack as this way they would become hardened to it and within weeks they would heal"). As much of the practical information is geared toward a U.K. audience, those looking for a solid baby advice/memoir book will do best to go elsewhere; those interested in a peek at baby rearing the celebrity way will enjoy the glimpses into Oliver's life and the wealth of photos of her and her family. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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