Amanda Bright @ Home

By Danielle Crittenden

Book Overview

With a college degree from an elite university, a top-level job at the N.E.A., a loving and successful husband, and two adorable children, Amanda Bright is ready to conquer the world. But when she decides to leave her career to be a stay-at-home mom, Amanda finds that her college degree, her professional wardrobe, and glamorous friends and connections are no preparation for her new life. Gone are the days of meetings and power lunches; Amanda's days are now filled with changing diapers, mopping up spills, and singing 'The Itsy, Bitsy Spider' over and over. While everyone else around her is on the fast track, it's getting harder for Amanda to even remember-or appreciate-why she left work in the first place. Mothers everywhere will laugh and cry along with Amanda as she experiences the daily trials of adjusting to this new life -and discovers that success isn't always measured in the workplace.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446530743
• ISBN13: 9780446530743
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Warner Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.1" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Amanda is Must Reading....

I identified totally with this book and urge every woman, and man, to read it. Amanda is struggling with the same issues that thousands of women are facing and she feels at sea. There are few guideposts or templates anymore for the formerly professional woman now turned homemaker, a job she never imagined she would have or want. It's not surprising she occasionally feels self-pity -- most of us do at times. What makes the book inspiring is that she finally is able to transcend those feelings and move on to a whole new and better way of thinking. The other great thing about this book is that it is laugh-out-loud funny and you won't want to put it down. Amanda is sometimes bedraggled, but what saves her is her great sense of humor. And you will recognize many of the supporting characters is this novel -- and they are just as true, because I know some of them.

Amanda Learns a Lesson

How many times have you been asked, "So what do you do?" As a b.c. woman (before children), the answer is generally easy enough to provide. After children, things get a little dicier as the woman who has chosen to stay at home and raise her children finds that giving the answer, "I'm staying at home to take care of my children" less acceptable to some inquiring minds. Our culture tends to measure the value of our "work" in dollar signs. A happy, well-adjusted child doesn't always tip the balance in our favor. Amanda's excellent adventure of self-discovery is a truly worthwhile read in which she comes to appreciate with her mind what her heart has known all along. "So what do you do?" Only the most important job in the world. No one ever regrets time not spent at the office or chasing down contracts. Time with our children is precious and fleeting. You wait for them to grow out diapers and grow up in general and, as the country song says, "then, they do." Amanda Bright@Home is wonderfully heartwarming, enjoyable and almost impossible to put down.

I love this book!!!!

This book is for every ex-professional mom who ever felt invisible at a party!! Nothing in today's education, professional or media environment really prepares the modern woman for being a wife, mother, and homemaker, and it is no wonder that novice Amanda is confused and occasionally self-pitying. What saves her ultimately is her great sense of humor and deep love for her husband and children. This is a laugh-out-loud funny book to be thoroughly enjoyed by the pool, ocean, or after the kids are in bed. At the same time, there are scenes that will move you to tears. But whether laughing or crying, there are countless scenes where any mom will see herself. I don't care about the author's politics. I just care about a great read I can relate to. And this is it!!

EVERY MOTHER SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK

As a mother of three children, I am @ home too, postponing a lucrative career. I completely identified with and ADORED this book. The author manages to capture both the drudgery and humor of our situation, and also the rewards that make our sacrifices worth it. I notice, too, that my husband has been reading the book over my shoulder, and roaring with laughter at the Washington scenes. I can't wait to introduce Amanda to the other at-home mothers in my book group.

A Mother's Dilemma

Ms. Crittenden has captured in this look the essence of a common dilemma faced by many mothers, making those difficult choices regarding career and family and how best to satisfy competing demands on our time and emotions. Amanda may not be "every woman" but this reader was able to sympathize with her daily struggles and see in her a young mom just wanting to do the right thing, for herself and her family. Ms. Crittenden takes you on a journey, not only of Amanda's self discovery but likely of your own.