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Maybe Baby
The Glides of Fort Cloud, Wisconsin, are a Spectacularly Dysfunctional Family. Rusty and Judy did the best they could when raising their three children, yet nothing turned out the way they planned. The Glide parents have just about resigned themselves to the fact that their kids will never live up to their expectations-when a ray of hope comes in the form of a new baby. Ju...more
Paperback, 237 pages
Published
August 23rd 2004
by Back Bay Books
(first published 2004)
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Ok, this was definitely a book for a book club. Do children turn out "bad" because of bad parenting, or are they born that way? How far should you go to accommodate what others want? When does seeking to promote equality and fairness step over the line to lunacy? How does one prevent oneself from being smothered by a spouse? Does knowing the sex of your child affect the way you - the parents - and others will treat the child? Are boys and girls treated differently because they're boys and girls?...more
A book about good intention and where it gets you.....
Parents Judy and Rusty Glide have three grown children. #1 Henry runs off with a rock band never to be seen again. #2 Carson just runs off...after acting out on some very female feelings. #3 Gretchen goes away to college and ends up in women's studies. After years of estrangement she lets Judy and Rusty know that she is pregnant and has joined a gender neutral community where she will raise her child without the preconceived notions of gender...more
Parents Judy and Rusty Glide have three grown children. #1 Henry runs off with a rock band never to be seen again. #2 Carson just runs off...after acting out on some very female feelings. #3 Gretchen goes away to college and ends up in women's studies. After years of estrangement she lets Judy and Rusty know that she is pregnant and has joined a gender neutral community where she will raise her child without the preconceived notions of gender...more
I checked this out of the library on a whim. I'm not even sure what attracted me to it (naked baby in swimming pool? I have no idea). I don't know what I was expecting, but had a hunch that it might be interesting. And it actually was.
It had more substance than I was expecting. It was super funny and fairly well written. Fun to read with an interesting concept that took me back to my crazy feminist college days. I still like the idea of pushing the limits of gender roles and giving a big middle...more
It had more substance than I was expecting. It was super funny and fairly well written. Fun to read with an interesting concept that took me back to my crazy feminist college days. I still like the idea of pushing the limits of gender roles and giving a big middle...more
I read this book in two days not because it was an exceptional book but because it flowed nicely and was quite funny. I would have liked more narration from the expectant mother than the grandmother but besides that I don't have any complaints. The book is about a young women who decides along with her spouse that she does not want her unborn baby to be defined by gender and therefore does not allow anyone in the family to buy gender related clothing, toys, or even know the sex of the baby when...more
Mar 19, 2009
Andrea
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
someone looking for a light read
Recommended to Andrea by:
jenny
My friend Jenny gave me this to read about 3 years ago and I finally picked it up. It's written by a woman who works (or worked, don't know if she still does) for The Isthmus here in Madison. It's set in a small town in Wisconsin, so I thought I'd relate on some level. It's a very quick and easy read and I enjoyed the characters--especially the parents and all their quirks. There are interesting thoughts about raising "gender neutral" children; although it was presented in an intentional communi...more
I very much enjoyed this book. And, let's be honest, I very rarely judge a book I read for pleasure by any other criteria. Why should I?
So, as a Wisconsinite, I feel that Darlington really captured the good intent that shapes our state's character. Famous serial killers aside, most people in Wisconsin don't intend to be offensive or intruding or uncaring. We are a good-intentioned people -- remember where the Progressive movement was born. Unfortunately, sometimes those good intentions result in...more
So, as a Wisconsinite, I feel that Darlington really captured the good intent that shapes our state's character. Famous serial killers aside, most people in Wisconsin don't intend to be offensive or intruding or uncaring. We are a good-intentioned people -- remember where the Progressive movement was born. Unfortunately, sometimes those good intentions result in...more
This book was a let-down from my expectations...it was not necessarily a bad read but definitely was not what I had anticipated when I bought the book! The cover of the book gave me the impression that it was along the lines of chick-lit and fun but in actuality it was more drama and gloomy. I guess the mantra of not judging a book by its cover is demonstrated true in this situation! The summary blurb on the back of the book gave me an impression of chick-lit fun too so maybe I was just making s...more
Tenaya Darlington was a blight on the journalism coming out of 'progressive' Madison in the 90s. Then she came up with this horrifyingly bad idea for a novel and executed it even more poorly. She didn't get the memo that gender and identity politics were a plague on academia in the 90s, and offers lingering proof that Madison has yet to produce any literary talents.
I really didn't enjoy the first 2/3 of this book, but trudged along, anyway. I'm glad I did, because it picked up quite well after that and ended nicely. I suppose the awkward, stilted beginning was deliberate- written that way to communicate to the reader how the characters felt about each other and the situation. I'm glad it improved and resolved.
May 09, 2010
Alicia
added it
This was an intriguing view of a dysfunctional family and children trying to "find themselves." I enjoyed the contrast between the "normal" parenting style, the dysfunctional and the "future parents." Somehow all three seemed extreme. Great to read a book written by a local author.
Another book that was sitting on my shelves for a long while until I finally got to it.
Weird, odd story of a family divided and how a baby being raised in a gender-neutral community brings them back together.
Weird, odd story of a family divided and how a baby being raised in a gender-neutral community brings them back together.
What a way to become a grandparent! I liked our way much better. If you need to feel better about your dysfunctional family, read this book.
I don't even know why I finished reading this book. It was a poorly written book and a bad story.
I'm not sure whether this book was funny, sad, or just bad. The plot wasn't believable for me, and I couldn't relate to any of the characters.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Met the author, took a couple tried to get into it but it's good!
I have had this book for years now (pre-publication galley copy mysteriously showed up on my bookshelf) and only recently decided to read it because I succumbed to cold and flu season. Well-drawn and quirky characters, an engaging story (raising a gender neutral child is something I have often thought about) and it being a quick read made it the perfect book for my occasion. This book would also be a great light reading for travel, vacation or escape/distraction.
Very different book dealing with the idea of raising a gender neutral child. Fairly well-written and an engaging story, but ultimately a little out there for me. I kind of wish I had just borrowed this book from a library rather than buying it...but that's what happens when you buy books from the bargain shelves - you never know if what you get you'll love or hate, or something in between.
Made me laugh out loud.
This book was very intriguing because it takes a look at raising children in a nonsexed environment. The family, who varies greatly on the thought of this, deals with raising a non-gendered child, meaning they don't reveal the sex of the child even after it is born! We are so gendered in this society, it is a very crazy thought!
This book was alright. It brought up the topic of gender rolls and the difficulties they can cause. Tenaya's writing style is just okay.
This book was ok. Interesting idea but not carried out the best way.
2009 Fall Challenge category: read a book and cook a meal.
2009 Fall Challenge category: read a book and cook a meal.
It's about raising a non-gender specific baby. To me Miss Traditional, it was different and kind of strange!
Jun 30, 2008
Linda Stremming
added it
Interesting, and very different view of how to raise a baby in a gender free environment.
Feb 05, 2008
Kate
marked it as to-read
This looks like a very interesting book!
I had issues with this one...
Apr 20, 2013
Susan
marked it as to-read
Apr 01, 2013
Tek
marked it as to-read
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