Baby Proof

If only I had any idea about the witty charms of this eggy colored novel, I would have read it a long time ago. Baby Proof caught me completely off guard with non stop excitement of Claudia and Ben's relationship, her family and her decision not to have a baby that led to trouble in paradise. The characters were simply darling, fleshed out to perfection and they made my heart ache when setbacks and divorce appeared on the horizon. This is definitely a girl's book, and not even comparable to chick lit, something that sounds empty and airy to me, but a rich goulash of love, romance, betrayal, insanely addictive humor and life's lessons learned right before my eyes. In a nutshell, the story is about Claudia and Ben, who married and has been enjoying their sweet life together in Manhattan, only to meet up with friends who just had a baby. Prior to getting married they have both agreed that they don't want kids, but as Ben gets involved in their friends exciting pregnancy he starts to change. Claudia is thrown off her cozy life, she finds herself unhappy and sees that her husband is no longer the man she though she knew. The tale starts off with many mishaps, her sister having baby issues, her best friend sleeping with a married man, her coworker trying to get a date with her, various scandals and tribulations flowing in and out, weaving out some true patterns that are a part of the quilt of life. Being in a great relationship I could relate to many parts of the book, but most of the time I was really happy that Claudia's turmoil was not my own. Knock on wood, but that only made the story more interesting as the reader gets to know her and falls in love with her personality and only wants the best for her. When things go from bad to worse and Ben has a new female friend Claudia must either move on or try and win him back. The question is whether she wants to have his baby since he's her soul mate or whether she needs to find her own path and not stray back into his life. I have to say that the ending had me in tears, but I cry at happy endings too, so no spoilers here. That came as a big surprise to me, I rarely cry reading books, but this one yanked at my heart and I had to get up to get some tissues three times while reading the last pages! I have even got my own boss sucked into this book, the second she read the first pages as I waved my latest read in front of her, she dashed to get her own copy, and it's a real pleasure discussing it with her, and I am perhaps a bit jealous that I have all ready read and the end of this journey has been reached. Baby Proof is fictional yet very real, I can see many women relate to it and it reads beautifully as the author has natural talent in story telling. - Kasia S.

i love emily giffin. her books are so real and so skillfully written that you feel like you are an intimate confidante to her characters. she really gets at the thoughts and feelings that cross their minds as they deal with difficult situations and you start thinking that she is really writing about exactly how YOU would think, feel and act in these situations, even if those thoughts and feelings aren't exactly nice or generous (and those that you would barely admit to yourself). baby proof is about a woman who is forced to decide if her long held views on life, and even her identity, are still valid when they are put to the ultimate test. the issues of babies and how that decision changes your life (for better and for worse) are a prominent issue in this book, one that is handled with great care for both sides of the debate. however, that issue is really only the side story for how the main character takes stock of who she is and who she ultimately wants to be, a journey that takes her through a no holds barred examination of marriage, parenthood and the sacrifices women have to make for career and for family. i know that i found a lot of myself reflected in the characters in this book. this was just a GREAT book, just as good as something borrowed and something blue. like with her previous books, emily giffin has written a story that is impossible to put down and one that is also engaging and filled with substance. i will even ignore the fact that she totally rips my name in this book too (although i am NOT a stella sacco so i won't take too much offense to that).

Baby Proof is a novel about the dissolution of a marriage. Thirty-four year old Claudia Parr is a happily married publishing industry professional whose life is turned upside down by her husband's decision to break their pre-marriage promises. Claudia and Ben had clicked, had worked as a couple, because they wanted to live child-free. They were non-conformists who relished their freedom and agreed that their family would always consist of just the two of them. Well, at least for the blissful two years before Ben revealed that his position on children had changed. He wanted them after all. At this point, as a reader, I jumped to some snap judgments about this pale yellow book with sparkly diamond baby booties on the cover. Was this going to be just another piece of poor-me-single-thirtysomething-in-NY-searching-for-a-male trash? Fortunately, no! Booksellers, don't shelve this one with all the hot pink chick lit titles. Baby Proof is a novel which explores all aspects of marriage, divorce, relationships at work, adultery, and parenting styles. The break-up is not just a plot device to launch yet another tale of single life in NY. The divorce drives the entire novel, as Claudia compares her situation to that of an infertile sister, a happily married sister, a spunky best friend dating a married man, and her own divorced parents. Toss in a breathtaking post-divorce fling with a co-worker, and you've got some great material. Griffin also delivers some subtle but unexpected plot twists.

Throughout her life, Claudia Parr, the heroine of Emily Giffin's excellent new novel, has sworn up and down to potential boyfriends, inquiring friends, concerned family and anyone else that she absolutely DOES NOT want children EVER. She doesn't have a maternal instinct that she's aware of, and she's perfectly content not to find it. Claudia was never interested in playing house as a girl, and, now that she's in her 30s, she's determined not to concern herself solely with the secondhand on her biological clock. She enjoys her job, her Manhattan life and her freedom. And Ben, her husband and soulmate, is more than happy to remain childless alongside her, their lives not governed by school plays, soccer games, SUVs and Happy Meals. But when Claudia and Ben's closest friends announce that they're expecting, Ben starts to wonder if maybe a baby wouldn't be that bad, maybe a baby will bring more meaning to their lives. Claudia, though, doesn't have a change-of-heart. She emphatically refuses to even consider a rugrat. So, even though they had a pre-nuptial "deal" to remain childless, Ben and Claudia are suddenly at an impasse in their marriage with a problem that's not at all easy to resolve. With SOMETHING BORROWED and SOMETHING BLUE, Giffin addressed the complicated nature of female friendships, while also providing fun characters, outlandish situations, hot guys, cocktails, Jimmy Choos and a good story. With BABY PROOF, Giffin brings all the fun but addresses an even more difficult topic. Through Claudia's predicament, Giffin dares to ask tough questions, like "Is a marriage enriched - or is life necessarily more meaningful - if you have kids?" or "Is it OK to not want kids?" I love Claudia in this book. Giffin writes her as tough, stubborn, intelligent, flawed, funny, sexy, opinionated and interesting. And, because she refuses to let Claudia fold or become a simple convert to "mommyhood," Giffin proves herself, once again, to be a brave, uncompromising writer who manages, at the same time, to keep things light and fun. She gives voice to strong female characters whom you can still cheer on, even when you disagree with their stances, choices and actions. It's a difficult thing to do, and Giffin pulls it off in spades. If you loved SOMETHING BORROWED and SOMETHING BLUE, take heart. Giffin's new book is just as strong. Claudia stumbles down many of the same paths that the previous books' heroines did. Claudia's friends are just as beautiful and fabulous. Her family is just as complicated. And her problems are just as touching. If this is the first Giffin novel you've read, BABY PROOF will make you a fan.