If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother by Julia Sweeney

If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother by Julia Sweeney

A memoir of motherhood and marriage that will make you laugh and cry - and then laugh again 'This is the sort of book that made me want to be the person who wrote it. Pithy, painful and very, very funny' Emma Thompson '[A] mix of comedy and emotion that makes up this warm and intimate memoir ... This is a funny, affectionate memoir about being an unconventional parent' Daily Mail Julia Sweeney was nearing forty, and quite famous, when she got on a flight to China to turn her life upside down. She had a flourishing career as a comedienne and performer, ample friends and admirers, but what she didn’t have was a child and, after a string of non-committal boyfriends, she decided to adopt alone. Mulan was one-and-a-half years old when she met her new mother, and every bit as feisty as the Disney character (whom she was emphatically not named for). If It's Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother is the story of this unexpected mother-daughter pair who eventually became – to Julia’s astonishment and in a hilariously unconventional way – a mother-daughter-father trio. From being mistaken for her daughter’s grandmother to her tragically short-lived belief that knitting a man a sweater will make him commit to you, Julia’s memoir is at once hilarious, poignant, provocative and wise. It is a story of adoption, Hollywood, dogs, death, marriage, Santa Claus, race and religion, the birds, the bees (and the frogs…) and everything else along the way.

This is the sort of book that made me want to be the person who wrote itPithy, painful and very, very funny * Emma Thompson *
[A] mix of comedy and emotion that makes up this warm and intimate memoir ... This is a funny, affectionate memoir about being an unconventional parent * Daily Mail *
Entertaining and honest, this is her heart-lifting account of adoption, motherhood and plain old everyday life * Sainsbury’s Magazine *
Emotional and hilarious, this book is one to keep * Daily Express *
This book is adorable ... Takes you on an intimate journey that is very funny * Red *
This is a funny, affectionate memoir about being an unconventional parent. With Mulan about to become a teenager, you wouldn’t bet against there being a sequel. Can’t wait * Irish Daily Mail *
What distinguishes this memoir is Sweeney’s ability to draw the reader into her life, so much so that you want her to be your best friend forever * Mslexia *
What a gift! If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother is an intimate and hilarious book that will leave you resenting your mother less, hugging your children tighter and glowing with gratitude that Julia Sweeney has put it all into words * Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette *
Reading If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother gave me the delightful sensation of being Julia Sweeney's best friend. I curled up in bed with this book and we shared secrets, swapped parenting fiascos and boyfriend dramas, complained about our mothers, laughed a lot, cried a little, and just generally had an awesome time. Write another book soon, Ms. Sweeney! Legions of your friends are waiting! * Ayelet Waldman, author of Red Hook Road and Bad Mother *
What a delicious treat! Julia Sweeney is one of the truest, warmest, wittiest voices in the world today, and we're so lucky that she spent her precious alone-time (while her husband and daughter were away) writing a book that invites everyone into her heart and home * Cindy Chupack, writer/executive producer of HBO's Sex and the City and author of The Between Boyfriends Book *
Any new creative offering from Julia Sweeney is a cause for celebration. She is a spectacular combination of insightful, hilarious and honest. So, yay! A new book from Julia Sweeney! Drinks are on me! * Merrill Markoe, author of Cool, Calm, and Contentious *