Househusband

I'm a stay-at-home mom, and boy does this author understand this life. I'm guessing that the readers who don't like this book are either men or women who are working full time and suffering from some big "mommy guilt." Hudler understands the situation and psyche of the stay-at-home mom better than anyone I've yet encountered. If you're a stay-at-home parent, you'll love this book because you'll feel vindicated and not so alone anymore.

Amazingly, this first time author just gets it so right. Told from the viewpoint of a born and bred Yuppie, transplanted Californian, master landscaper, father, husband, and son, the story becomes a pleasant surprise quite quickly. Feminine nuance and sublety and ever present guilt are humourously overacted. But important issues are tackled with the tongue firmly in the cheek. Certainly a bit over the top, but the exciting thing is that Househusband GETS IT. Lincoln (named after the car in his out-of-touch father's dealership) makes gentle suggestions for misbehaving children (Violet is spoiled, but she's mannerly about it), business affairs for the spousal unit, as well as dealing with a charmingly/alarmingly runaway mama of his own. And the icing on the proverbial cake are the yummy sounding, healthy recipes laced through the book. I'm thinking this should be required premarital reading.

linc menner is a self-described househusband, a landscape architect to the stars who decides to stay at home with his three-year old, violet, while his wife takes a high profile job as the COO of a large rochester hospital. hudler's book outlines menner's foray into full-time parenting. cut off from all adult contact, he can chart the progress of time only by the growth of a passion flower plant. as he becomes more and more paranoid about his worth as a man and a husband, he also becomes more controlling about his "kingdom" - how violet is cared for, how the laundry is done, etc. this book is certainly funny, but it also touches on deeper issues of gender roles, acceptance, and insecurity. there is also much mulling about food, and the book includes many of linc's recipes. i haven't tried any yet, but they tasted good in my mind.i was pleasantly surprised by how cleanly this book is constructed, and how well hudler was able to expose linc's shortcomings while still keeping him likable. most impressive is the way that hudler develops linc, subtly but surely. this is light reading, but a more worthwhile book than most.

And I thought that the Nanny Diaries was an entertaining look at "parenting"? This book is for real and actually made me feel great about what I spend 16 hours a day doing. Hudler has a style and insight that made me want to agree out loud at what I was reading. This book was truly fun to read and I will absolutely pass it book along to friends. (After my husband is finished with it!)

This marvelously funny tale of domestic role reversal throws new light on the roles everyone plays -- the career forger, the caregiver, the best friend, the neighbor. Even The Child is seen from a new angle. The writing energizes, entertains, enlightens and leaves the reader feeling better about the human race, especially the men portion of it. Despite the hilariously depicted foibles and neuroses of our hero Linc, he and his wife are decent, unselfish, intelligent folks trying to make the world a better place for each other and for their child. What a pleasure to read about these kinds of people for a change. What a pleasure to read writing with such descriptive zest. Can't wait for his next book!