A must-read for all women juggling career and family: an inspiring book that argues that women can have it all—just not all at ... read full description
reviews
Feb 22, 2009
Anastasia
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I think this is an important book and I applaud Gilbey Keller for her effort, but I also think this could have been a much better book. Gilbey Keller interviewed and wrote about 7 women who left their careers to tend to their children and then returned to the world of work. However, she only captured one woman of moderate means-- the rest were extremely privileged, some even authentic WASPs, whose lineage Gilbey Keller not only traces but seems to fawn over. Likewise, though high-achieving women
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Dec 01, 2011
Trish
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Will read it as soon as I receive it from the FirstReads program. If you haven't entered for some of their book giveaways, you should check it out. You get to read a just-released book!
This was a very well written and researched book. I didn't think that I would like it as much as I did. Let me explain. I've never had a "comeback." I didn't leave work to stay home with my daughters when they were little because I didn't have the choice. I thought maybe I would be jea More...
This was a very well written and researched book. I didn't think that I would like it as much as I did. Let me explain. I've never had a "comeback." I didn't leave work to stay home with my daughters when they were little because I didn't have the choice. I thought maybe I would be jea More...
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Dec 01, 2011
Leslie
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I'm 26 and not a mother yet, but I'm in building-my-career and about to get married stage that all the women in this book experience. Their stories gave me a lot of things to think about, worry about, and look forward to as I anticipate making some difficult work/family/balance choices in the coming years. For such a short read, Keller manages to covey well the very different and complex personalities of the seven women featured. I found myself wishing I could keep reading about a few of them, p
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Feb 08, 2009
Delight
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This book really annoyed me. I had read a decent review in the NYT about Keller's book that supposedly delved deeply into the issues of balancing career and family (perhaps the good review has something to do with the fact that the author is married to Bill Keller--executive editor of the NYT...). I was quite disappointed to find that the book is really no more than seven random stories about upper-middle class women who gave up their careers for a period of time to raise their families and th
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Aug 21, 2009
Deborah
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So, I heard her talking on NPR and the premise of the book sounded interesting to me, specially in my current situation. But, alas, I do not live in the upper East side, I'm not a banker or married to one, I'm not a lawyer or married to one, etc, etc. This book target audience is the very wealthy mothers who hire help to take care of their children so they can go volunteer and network with their husbands contacts so that they can "come back" to a place that they never really left which
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Dec 01, 2011
Laura
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Being a stay at home mom, this book made me feel not so alone. I could identify with the women. I decided to start a daycare in my home and this book made me feel better about my choice. Good read for any mom(working or not).
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Sep 25, 2011
Tracy
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This book was not the best of its type. Most of the people were very upper middle class. I almost stopped reading after a few chapters because of that, but I hung in a bit longer when a chapter talked about an occupational therapist in Saginaw, Michigan. But it just wasn't that new, wasn't that well written, and wasn't that interesting. I confess that some of what I disliked may be that it came out before the economy tanked, and the people she profiled all bought their homes before the real es
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Jan 22, 2009
David
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Breezy, readable account of the work/family balance tradeoffs made by seven women interviewed in depth by the author. The format works well in that she goes into considerable depth on each one and recounts their work/family histories over considerable periods of time. My only quibble with it as research, rather than interesting anecdotes, would be the rarefied nature of the sample -- a professional art photographer, physician, lawyer, etc., mostly married to wealthy guys. that's a real segmen
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May 16, 2010
Kelly
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This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I ended up reading the first two stories and skimming the rest.
The main reason I didn't connect to the book was that the first two stories I did read were about women who seemed to be incredibly wealthy. So it was hard to see myself in their stories.
Maybe one of the other stories would have resonated with me more, but it was hard to tell just from the chapter titles whether they were stories closer to my own experiences.
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The main reason I didn't connect to the book was that the first two stories I did read were about women who seemed to be incredibly wealthy. So it was hard to see myself in their stories.
Maybe one of the other stories would have resonated with me more, but it was hard to tell just from the chapter titles whether they were stories closer to my own experiences.
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Dec 01, 2011
Sara
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I found The Comeback by Emma Gilbey Keller a bland and fairly boring read. I was intrigued by the introduction that Keller wrote about her own comeback - a transition back into career after spending time home raising children. However, I did not find the women she profiled to be at all relate-able, even he women who was a teacher like me.
I also felt that the profiles of the women were kept at arms' length. Keller spoke about some of the women having children with developmental proble More...
I also felt that the profiles of the women were kept at arms' length. Keller spoke about some of the women having children with developmental proble More...
Mar 01, 2010
Erika
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Enjoyable read about seven mothers' professional lives - pre-baby and post-baby. The moral of the story is: if you work while you have children, it will be really exhausting and emotionally wrought until the kids leave for college. Then, you can throw yourself into a career. Empowering to know there are post-menopausal women still vigorous and very active in both jobs and hobbies.
Dec 01, 2011
Jill
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Another book won in a giveaway...looks interesting.
This book is a collection of stories about women who were in the working world, had children and then re-entered the working world. I found that the stories were very specific to the careers these women were in and I would say the majority of women can't relate to the women in the book. How many people actually designed for World Trade Center? People with jobs such as that would find it much easier to re-enter after 10 years away. More...
This book is a collection of stories about women who were in the working world, had children and then re-entered the working world. I found that the stories were very specific to the careers these women were in and I would say the majority of women can't relate to the women in the book. How many people actually designed for World Trade Center? People with jobs such as that would find it much easier to re-enter after 10 years away. More...
Sep 17, 2009
Shirley
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An 18 page boring introduction almost made me put the book aside. Book was okay, but nothing I would reccomend.
Feb 03, 2009
Heard the author speak last night and am so excited to dig into this book. Finally, an affirmative take on the women/career/motherhood conversation. Using women and friends as resources instead of sitting in judgment of each others' choices. Fantastic.
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Nov 17, 2009
Katie
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A quick read, and it's interesting to see the paths that different women have taken in relaunching their careers.
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Dec 08, 2008
Jess
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It was ... meh.
You can read my review at The Daily Fave:
http://forums.parenting.com/blogs/daily-...
You can read my review at The Daily Fave:
http://forums.parenting.com/blogs/daily-...
Sep 11, 2008
Lori
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Just started.....very interesting, stories of women who work while raising children and of women who stayed home and then reentered the work field. Reminds me of "Mommy Wars," also a good read!
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Jan 08, 2011
Kim
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The idea for this book was a good one. The introduction was well-written and kept me interested. But, the "seven stories", for the most part, were not stories that many women would relate to.
Feb 02, 2009
Margaret
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I think this will be one of the first reads on my "to-read" list.
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Nov 03, 2008
Joanne
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This is one that I will keep re-reading for inspiration.
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