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I Don't Know How She Does it

3.23 of 5 stars 3.23 · rating details · 10,504 ratings · 1,219 reviews

Now a Major Motion Picture

Delightfully smart and heartbreakingly poignant, Allison Pearson’s smash debut novel has exploded onto bestseller lists as “The national anthem for working mothers.” Hedge-fund manager, wife, and mother of two, Kate Reddy manages to juggle nine currencies in five time zones and keep in step with the Teletubbies. But when she finds herself awake a...more

Paperback, Movie Tie-In Edition, 368 pages

Published August 9th 2011 by Anchor (first published January 12th 2001)

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Dec 27, 2011 Beth rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-on-kindle, september-2011, break-out-the-brain-bleach, dangerous-implications, subjects-i-know-nothing-about, wish-i-hadn-t-read

[Note: I'm reviewing this quite a long time after I finished the book because I've been really busy for the past couple of months. I can still remember what I really disliked about this book, so I'm going to write the review, but I might be shaky on some of the precise details. Be warned.]

Are you a man who has lived alone for any portion of your life?
Are you a man who can complete most domestic tasks?
Are you a man who managed to dress yourself this morning?

If so - CONGRATULATIONS! I really don'...more

9 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2012 Emily Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought "I Don't Know How She Does It" for 50 cents off the library sale cart one day, fully expecting to hate it, but intrigued enough to hand over a small donation for the pleasure of hating it in my own time. When the book came out, there was a media firestorm that took advantage of the presumed premise of mommy wars -- pitting stay-at-home mothers vs. working mothers in a spitting, catty, bitchfest. As media firestorms usually are, this one was based only on a germ of truth.

Kate Reddy, her...more

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Dec 17, 2007 Abigail rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know why, but for some reason this book got a rise out of me. It's supposed to be light reading, in the vein of chick lit, but I struggled to finish it. Basically it's about a fictional career woman juggling her career and her family - which is incredibly hard. Instead of admiring the character's efforts I was really angry at her. I wonder if it's just me.

These are the things I found wrong: whenever Kate, the main character, had time to spend with her kids, she seemed to really hate it....more

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Feb 17, 2009 marg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I grappled a lot over the stars for this one, and would settle on three and a half if G-reads would let me - but I will err on the side of more stars if only because as much as what I will say might sound negative, that in itself is the mark of a good book - which is to say, it definitely affected me.
The premise of this work is a woman with a job that is in itself a demanding marriage - constant crises and traveling and coddling clients - while in the meantime there is the real husband as well a...more I grappled a lot over the stars for this one, and would settle on three and a half if G-reads would let me - but I will err on the side of more stars if only because as much as what I will say might sound negative, that in itself is the mark of a good book - which is to say, it definitely affected me.
The premise of this work is a woman with a job that is in itself a demanding marriage - constant crises and traveling and coddling clients - while in the meantime there is the real husband as well as the real kids who also need her attention.
So ostensibly this is Bridget Jones grown up in that it possesses that same glib British wit and similar diaryesque stream of consciousness (which on occasion outdid itself - as funny as it was, and it was, it got to where one more perfect, universal simile of comparing your handbag to XYZ that we can all relate to would make me rip my hair out) but where BJ's loneliness, real as it was, came wrapped in a disarmingly funny style, this book was a terse and thinly disguised rant against, above all, the fallacy of the feminist movement.
I happen to applaud many of her points: that we think we can have it all/are supposed to, and simply can't. That we fight to be the same as men but we are not, nor are we treated as such. That at the end of the day the pull to being a mother is the rawest one and will win out, and somewhere we will feel like losers as a result.
So in many ways I found this funny book to be extremely heavy and, well, depressing. Her struggle was at times very poignant, the failure of her marriage and her juggling painful to read.
At times I rooted for this very real woman and at times I thought, uch I hate people like this - people who can snap at the poor clerk because she is just SO busy, blah blah blah, but in truth Pearson really does a good job vilanizing and humanizing this woman simulataneously.
Anyway I do recommend it, it was at times a lot of fun and thought provoking. Just be warned, it can really be a downer at times - but maybe that was the best part :)(less)

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Dec 30, 2007 Mette Mccall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: any mom trying to do it all realizing it is a futile endeavour

I think about this book almost on a daily basis. Can you really be a successfull hedgefund manager at a prestigious company (thinly vailed as Morgan Stanley), be a good mother (= raise two kids and participate in all their school acitivities) and be a loving wife. All in the same life at the same time?
The book offers up som hilarious scenarios and really pinpoints how the corporate world discourages career women as mothers all while saying they as a company is a very family friendly place.
It al...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Lisbeth Solberg rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisbeth by: Ann Robinson

Kind of a Bridget Jones's Diary for the mommy set, this book is almost too clever to like. But I liked it. Still, as a card-carrying underachiever, I couldn't always relate much to Career Kate. Too tidy ending(s) tempt me to shelve this with fairytales.

I liked the Mary Poppins references and other pop-culture bits, those I could get, anyway. Liked the discussion about food (or not) in heaven and why there isn't a McDonald's. Liked the email exchanges, mostly. Liked her husband and her other roma...more

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Jan 23, 2009 annelies rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It wouldn't be a lie to say I wanted to read this book for years. I passed it on the bookstore shelf, I don't know how many times. Well, maybe my intuition was telling me something. I found the main character Kate to be a lousy mum, sorry if that insults any working moms, but she really was just crap. I just found myself to be very unsympathetic towards her.

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Jan 02, 2009 Antof9 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: depressing, chicklit, 2005-read, women, trashy-is-as-trashy-does, made-me-cry

What to say? I really liked this book, but I also found it kind of sad. I was trying to think of how to describe it, and realized that it reminded me a lot of how I felt about The Nanny Diaries. Funny chick lit, but with a very heavy twist, these two books made me sad for the reality they represent. In fact, I was trying to think of a working mom to send it to when I was done, but as I kept reading, I feared that it would make them depressed!

I really liked parts of this book and disliked others....more What to say? I really liked this book, but I also found it kind of sad. I was trying to think of how to describe it, and realized that it reminded me a lot of how I felt about The Nanny Diaries. Funny chick lit, but with a very heavy twist, these two books made me sad for the reality they represent. In fact, I was trying to think of a working mom to send it to when I was done, but as I kept reading, I feared that it would make them depressed!

I really liked parts of this book and disliked others. All the stuff this working mom had to do made me nervous! There were also many times I thought, "wait -- when did she pack for that trip?" or "when did she get her clothes from the dry cleaners?" It seemed as if those were convenient details when they were needed to illustrate all the things she needed to do, but when not germaine to the story, they were conveniently glossed over!

I liked that she was so good at her job, and I liked her honesty about the boys' club at work. No one in the pc-crazy U.S. would say most of the stuff she said, and I found it refreshing. In addition, I work in the financial industry, so parts of that were recognizable too.

I loved the biodegradable nappy! That's all I'm saying.

SPOILER ALERT!

Who would have thought that in the midddle of a lite piece of semi-trashy chick lit you'd find one of the most beautiful, moving tributes ever? Chapter 26, Death of a Mother, is just touching. It's lyrical and heart-wrenching. And I loved it. I just re-read it, two weeks later, and it still brought tears to my eyes. I guess I can't re-type the whole chapter, so I'll just put here the end, which is really touching. ". . . I look away quickly and with washed eyes focus on the headstones all around us. DEVOTED SON. FATHER AND GRANDFATHER. PRECIOUS ONLY CHILD OF. BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER. SISTER. WIFE. MOTHER. MOTHER. In death, we are not defined by what we did or who we were but by what we meant to others. How well we loved and were loved in return."

Something that really touched me was a comment about a gravesite. Because my dad's birthday was just a few weeks ago and I really wanted to go to the cemetery, but didn't have time, this particularly resonated with me: "Weird, isn't it, how you want to seek out the physical place where someone is buried? If Jill is anywhere, now, she's everywhere." I love what was on her headstone: "SHE WAS WELL LOVED".(less)

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Apr 14, 2013 Helen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This could have easily been a two-dimensional story that skimmed over the surface of the tensions inherent in being a working mother. Instead Allison Pearson gives us a protagonist who, while not always likeable, has great heart. As a full-time working mother of a three year old, I recognised a lot in this book which is peppered with acute observations of the juggling and twisting and subsuming of the self that seem to be an integral part of motherhood in western culture. In fact, it was so acut...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Mona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I read this within a year after it first came out, circa 2003, when I was still working in the financial district full-time, and had two little ones, ages 5 and two, was commuting to Manhattan by train and could lose myself in a book for about 45 minutes each way. I found myself laughing out loud in many spots, feeling that Allison Pearson really got it. She understood the guilt and hysteria of working mothers and put the experience out there in a way that was truly authentic. I just won...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Kimberly Sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I’d give this four and a half stars. I really loved this book and, even if I may have wished not to, I recognized in myself far too many similarities with Kate Reddy. The opening scene is brilliant, with Kate trying to bash in a store-bought pie in order to make it look homemade. I usually guilt myself into midnight baking for the next day’s party or bake sale, and often I find myself chuckling over fictional Kate and wishing I’d learned her strategy. I think that much of this book rings true to...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Federica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Un libro dolce-amaro (almeno per me...)

Forse sarà il mio momento di vita,ma questo libro mi ha profondamente toccato il cuore,facendo riemergere la malinconia del mio passato,cui cerco di non pensare,ma che mi bussa dentro quando affronto letture come questa.
Non sono ancora madre, ma il libro mi ha fatto riflettere su come sia duro portare avanti una vita di lavoro e famiglia; mi sono venute un po’ le lacrime a leggere di bambini che fanno i capricci perché la mamma è sempre al lavoro e di come...more Un libro dolce-amaro (almeno per me...)

Forse sarà il mio momento di vita,ma questo libro mi ha profondamente toccato il cuore,facendo riemergere la malinconia del mio passato,cui cerco di non pensare,ma che mi bussa dentro quando affronto letture come questa.
Non sono ancora madre, ma il libro mi ha fatto riflettere su come sia duro portare avanti una vita di lavoro e famiglia; mi sono venute un po’ le lacrime a leggere di bambini che fanno i capricci perché la mamma è sempre al lavoro e di come si senta una mamma a lasciare soli i propri figli perché deve andare a lavorare; una mamma che, però, cerca di non far mancare nulla a nessuno,per non sentirsi in colpa e che,forse, non capisce che l’unica cosa che i bambini vogliono da piccoli sono gesti di affetto e considerazione e non,palate e palate,di giocattoli.
D’accordo questa è come se fosse un po’ la mia storia…tranne il fatto che io non avevo baby-sitter,ma una nonna che mi ha fondamentalmente cresciuto,fino a quando,mia madre, ha deciso di dire basta al lavoro che la portava lontano da me, a volte,anche di sabato e domenica ( e di lavoro non faceva la manager di successo). Ma il tempo era ormai passato e la mia infanzia anche e la donna che mi sono ritrovata,dai 10 anni ai 20, è come se io non la conoscessi quasi. Ora,invece,che sono fuori casa da una decina di anni,scopro una mamma ancora diversa: ma la mamma è sempre la mamma!
Comunque,a parte gli occhi lucidi,questo libro mi ha anche fatto sorridere: Kate vuole riuscire in tutto,sia sul lavoro che a casa, ha un livello di stress altissimo che tiene a bada con l’ironia e con gli appunti delle cose da fare e che,invece,rimanda sempre. Suo marito, Rich,la adora,la sopporta e sta dietro ai figli praticamente sempre (ecco,questo mi sembra l’unico punto della storia un po’ inverosimile…)
All'inizio ho fatto un po' fatica perchè lo stile dell'autrice è quello classico da giornalista e anche il ritmo è troppo frenetico,poi,verso metà, tutto rallenta e il libro ti avvolge con la storia.(less)

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Sep 28, 2012 Beth Bonini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's hard to believe, but this book was published almost a decade ago -- and it's been sitting on my to-read shelf nearly all of that time. (I was about to drop it into the charity bag during a recent book cull but guilt forced me to read it first.)

When it was published, it was widely written about and debated; not surprisingly, as its author is a newspaper columnist and it takes -- as its subject -- the question of working motherhood. Or, to put it another way, it throws a magnifying glass on t...more It's hard to believe, but this book was published almost a decade ago -- and it's been sitting on my to-read shelf nearly all of that time. (I was about to drop it into the charity bag during a recent book cull but guilt forced me to read it first.)

When it was published, it was widely written about and debated; not surprisingly, as its author is a newspaper columnist and it takes -- as its subject -- the question of working motherhood. Or, to put it another way, it throws a magnifying glass on the dizzying life of a middle-aged, middle-class woman attempting to "have it all." There are many, many telling details in this book, and the author has a real gift for "the way we live now" description and dialogue. Except for the odd movie or book reference, it hasn't really dated much. And even though I have had the great privilege (and reading this book only confirmed it to be so) of working part-time or not at all (with the exception of three fraught years) during the raising of my children, I could still identify and empathise with protagonist Kate Reddy more than was emotionally comfortable. (Having said that, Kate is more comfortable with high finance than small children, and I am definitely the opposite!)

Downsides of reading this book: it will make you feel exhausted, and it may make you feel unreasonably annoyed with your husband. (Certain bits will stay with me, and one that immediately comes to mind is the description of Christmas and the gift-buying responsibilities.)
Having said that, I think that Pearson makes clear that Kate -- and so many women -- are our own worst multi-tasking enemies because we secretly think that we have to do everything because either (1) no one else is as competent, or (2) we will give up too much of our own power by delegating and compromising.

It was a more emotionally substantial book than I expected; and although it veered into melodrama territory in a few places, (e.g., her "revenge" on a sexist colleague), I thought it was a brave and truthful book.(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Elizabeth Hall Magill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: feminism

So I just read I Don’t Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother, and I want you to read it too. It has some beautiful sentences—some that startled me into laughter, others that made me sigh oh my, yes—Allison Pearson is a writer. But the main reason I loved this book is that it tells the truth about modern motherhood. The whole, fragmented, pissed off, full of love and anguish truth.

Of course, the book tells the truth in the form of a fictional narrative, but two of Ms. Pears...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Angela Risner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought the book based on the movie trailer. I think that they've made the story seem as though it's just a comedy, but it's more than that. This story is pretty real for a lot of women.

Kate is your typical modern woman - wife, mother, working woman - who feels as though she is always shortchanging someone. If she's at work, she isn't with her family. If she's with her family, she is still anxious about work and checks in with it constantly. And her marriage rarely makes the her list of things-...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Danderma rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I finally finished the book “I don’t know how she does it” I had to say it took me over three weeks to finish. Not because it was too long, but because it is an OK read. Not an AMAZING page turner for sure. I have read many more interesting books so why this one per say was turned into a movie is beyond me. Especially since it was published over 11 years ago.

The books is about Katherine Reddy, a fierce career woman who is trying to balance her role as a wife, a mother, and a city worker all...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Tiffany rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am giving this book two stars instead of one because it started out delightfully funny and I got a kick out of the idiomatic expressions. Kate was likable at first (before I really knew her) and her lists were humorous with a touch of poignancy. Then, about half way through she became way too whiny, competitive with her husband ( I started to side with him every time) and too torn. Her stress, it turns out, was not just a few funny moments of falling apart and making mistakes or feeling sad bu...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was kind of a roller coaster for me. I've had a used copy of this on my shelf for years but somehow never got around to reading it, although lots of my friends told me I should, that I'd relate to Kate etc. Then I received this book as a grab bag Christmas gift at my working moms club, so I figured I should finally go ahead and read it.

At first I liked it and could relate to Kate's character - all the juggling, trying to do right by everyone but feeling like you're not doing as well as...more This book was kind of a roller coaster for me. I've had a used copy of this on my shelf for years but somehow never got around to reading it, although lots of my friends told me I should, that I'd relate to Kate etc. Then I received this book as a grab bag Christmas gift at my working moms club, so I figured I should finally go ahead and read it.

At first I liked it and could relate to Kate's character - all the juggling, trying to do right by everyone but feeling like you're not doing as well as you should at work or at home, etc. I got a kick out of her making store-bought pies look homemade and going shoe shopping as a form of stress-relief therapy.

But then she REALLY started to piss me off. She didn't enjoy her time with her family at all and seemed to be thrilled every time a "crisis" at work allowed her to escape from her family during the precious little time they had together. And she neglected her mother, sister, friends as well. But no one more so than her long-suffering husband. SPOILER ALERT: Before her finally left her, I kept wondering what was in it for him anyway - he tried like hell to keep everything going at home when she worked late, was on a trip or just too stressed to deal, and in return she tells him everything he's done is wrong because it's not up to her impossible standards. And even when she tried to redeem herself by giving him a wine-tasting class for Christmas, she blew it again by getting mad at him when he actually wanted to use her present. All I kept thinking was that Sarah Jessica Parker was the perfect choice to play this wretched bitch in the movie version since Kate sounds just like the mommy-version of Carrie Bradshaw, oh 4th or 5th season of SITC (remember, when Samantha pulled her aside and made her go see a shrink because no one could stand Carrie's whining about Mr. Big anymore?) - completely self-centered, selfish and annoying.

But after her husband finally leaves, she gets a little more likeable, although I didn't like the ending at all. Too easy.

But I think what bothered me the most is how one-dimensional most of the characters are. With the exception of Robin, all the men she works with are total sexist jerks, the stay-at-home-moms are self-righteous bitches, and the other poor working moms are just like Kate. Speaking from my own experience, yes, there were some men (and women) I worked with who disapproved of my choice to keep working after kids, and yes, I know couple of the "Muffia" type moms, but I also had some really supportive bosses and co-workers who let me comeback part-time, understood when I needed to schedule things around pick-up schedules etc., let me work from home when one of the kids was sick etc.; and I know fantastic stay-at-home moms who don't make me feel like less of a mother because I chose to keep working, and they've also helped me out in many a pinch (stuck in traffic, can't get to pre-school on time for pick-up, nanny sick etc.). So I wish Pearson's portrayal of the people in Kate's life wouldn't have been so black and white.

In any case, I guess this book really provoked a reaction from me, so I guess it's worth reading.(less)

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Dec 30, 2011 Rita rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-interest-language-level, fiction

At times laugh-out-loud funny, at others absolutely heartbreaking, I Don't Know How She Does It is a larger than life look at a woman and her family who seem to be living the American dream. (Note: Yes, yes, I know the book is set in Great Britain, but as an American wife, mother, and full-time working woman, I could identify completely with the main character and what she feels compelled to do to keep her life on track.)

Other reviewers here who slam the book as being misandrist somewhat miss t...more At times laugh-out-loud funny, at others absolutely heartbreaking, I Don't Know How She Does It is a larger than life look at a woman and her family who seem to be living the American dream. (Note: Yes, yes, I know the book is set in Great Britain, but as an American wife, mother, and full-time working woman, I could identify completely with the main character and what she feels compelled to do to keep her life on track.)

Other reviewers here who slam the book as being misandrist somewhat miss the point, I think. It's not really that Kate's husband, boss, or any of the other male characters in this book are incapable of doing anything for themselves; it's that Kate herself feels compelled to do everything. It's like she's actually split into four or five different people all tethered together on top of a car going 100 m.p.h.; not one version of herself can jump off at that speed without hurting all the other parts of herself, too. Many full-time working wives/mothers, I think, feel this way at least some of the time. In some ways we love what we do--the sweetness of a child's hug, the intellectual stimulation of regular, frequent interactions with other adults, the feeling of power that comes from bringing home the bacon, frying it up in the pan and never, never, ever letting the husband forget he's a man all provide us with emotional highs that are pretty addictive. But, of course, there is a price to be paid . . .

If one gets uncomfortable reading this book--and I certainly did--it is probably because it strikes pretty close to home at some points. While I'm not the high-powered hedge-fund manager Kate is, I nonetheless know what it is like to be up in the middle of the night making treats, sewing costumes, etc., getting a couple hours of sleep, and then having to work a 10- or 12-hour day before going home to get dinner on, help kids with homework, spend quality time with the husband, and on and on it goes. So, in fact, Kate Reddy and I (and thousands of other women out there) do know how she does it, and we know the costs.

I seldom give books 5-star ratings, but I didn't have any hesitation about doing so for I Don't Know How She Does It. The wit, the tenderness, and the honesty with which Pearson tells the story of Kate Reddy all contribute to the creation of a fictional world that seems both disquieting and strangely comforting . . . and utterly real. (less)

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Nov 07, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The plot of the book is a little cheesy (and I hear the movie is pretty bad) BUT this book hits on so many issues that face working (middle class) mothers and all mothers today. Some people would consider it a light read but it is also really sad at times and grapples with big problems. It captures the puzzle and impossibility of daycare, schedules, and the gender division of labor. The protagonist is a very successful woman in a boys club world who is constantly trying to catch up and always on...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Mary Balconi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is great! Its funny, serious, demanding and overbearing. Much of what a working woman and mother goes through. Pearson does a beautiful job showing the double standards that still exist in the work place between how men and women are treated and in particular after a women has a child. She shows Kate saying what she wants to really say in her mind as many of us do and then the politically correct thing which she says out loud. She clearly shows the termoil a mother feels at being pulle...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished this book today. I started reading it and glanced at the TV one afternoon and saw an advertisement for the film!! Now normally, I have already bought the book and then refuse to see the film till I have read it....I have a HUGE pile of books and the same on my Kindle so they are normally on DVD by the time I get to watch the film! With this book I will be first in the cinema queue for a change, although can SJP fill Kate Reddy's uncomfortable high heels??

This book is about Kate Reddy,...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Jaclyn Day rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I decided to read this book after I saw the movie with my sister (verdict? B). I was anxious to see how the book compared to the movie version, especially after several reviews I read said that the book was far superior to the film…but isn’t that always the case?

Of course, those reviewers were right. The book felt more honest and frazzled, and frankly, I had a hard time watching Sarah Jessica Parker pretending she was an everyday, working mother as her four nannies off-set escorted her three chi...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Frank rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly this book was good in a lot of ways. I was engaged, I wanted to know what happened, I was invested in the characters, it had an excellent plot line, and so on.

What was bad about it, was it made me angry, it made me upset. It put this feeling in me like I wanted the vomit the story up, but I couldn't. A very physical and real feeling. It made me not enjoy my day to day interactions with people I was so upset by this book.

I don't know exactly how to put why it made me so miserable, but I...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The other day I was going through a bin of books that I plan on donating (looking for one for my husband's grandmother) and I came across this book that I had bought at a used book sale years ago. I decided to read it - I've recently seen movie trailers and I like to read the book first, so I dove right in.

Though this book is fiction and has a chick-lit quality to it, I think it was actually the perfect time for me to read it. Kate Reddy is a VERY busy working Mama (hedge fund manager in London)...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Beth Pearson rated it 3 of 5 stars

It is hard to rate this book. Funny yet so sad. Frustrating but compelling. A "Chick Lit" type funny book, but so painful at times.

Allison Pearson seems to nail a woman's thoughts perfectly--whether a career mom or not---on the "good mother-bad mother" thoughts we wrestle with, the 1400 thoughts we juggle at one time in our heads, and the conflicting emotions we often feel trying to fill all the roles we play.

I don't think I've every related to a first chapter as well as I did with this book a...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If I had to sum up the book with one excerpt, it would be this:

"It was a matriarchy pretending to be a patriarchy to keep the lads happy."

And to be honest, I'm not sure how much I liked the storyline. The book as a whole is very well-written; and I really enjoyed the author's style of writing. But my discomfort with the storyline comes from a deep place of wonder and fear. Is this what it's like to be a working mother nowadays? Surely the average working mother doesn't experience this, right? Su...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Dianne Socci-Tetro rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I Don't Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother [Kindle Edition]
(October 1, 2002)

I saw the advertisement today on TV for the movie made about this book. It looked to be fun, funny and engrossing so I immediately bought the book without ever reading any of the reviews. I greedily jumped right in reading and found myself after a few chapters, falling asleep. Now a book that got the reviews it did, shouldn’t put one in a stupor should it? Frankly my motto is “don’t judge a BOOK...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Jocelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ah, the age old question, Can you really have it all? And at what cost? Women are constantly being told that they can do it all, career success, financial success and still raise a happy family and be the perfect homemaker. You can't help but wonder if we are setting ourselves up for failure, or at least a nervous breakdown. Are we trying to do TOO much? Kate Reddy is facing just this dilemma. She's a working mom struggling for balance amidst a world that is moving far too quickly to even attemp...more

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May 20, 2011 Cyndy Aleo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women-s-fiction

On bedrest during my most difficult (and final!) [HAHAHAHAHA little did I know then - ed.] pregnancy last summer, a group of my girlfriends got together and sent me a care package of books, magazines, and activities for my two toddlers. One of the books was I Don't Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother.

::: The Plot :::

Kate Reddy is a fund manager in London, and she is also the mother of two children. Her career is important, as she is one of the very few female fund manage...more

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About Allison Pearson

Allison Pearson was born in South Wales. An award-winning journalist, she was named Newcomer of the Year at the British Book Awards for her first novel, I Don't Know How She Does It. Allison has written for many magazines and newspapers including the Daily Telegraph, the Independent, the Observer, the Sunday Times and the London Evening Standard. For four years she was the popular Wednesday column...more

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“The great thing about unrequited love is it's the only kind that lasts.” — 54 people liked it

“People say that time is a great healer. Which people? What are they talking about? I think some feelings you experience in your life are written in indelible ink and the best you can hope for is that they fade a little over the years.” — 20 people liked it

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