FROM HERE TO MATERNITY

Yet another humorous, sometimes tear-spattered account of the joys and tribulations of first-time motherhood, this one by the author of How to Honeymoon (1986). New York writer Weston didn't think much about having babies until her husband threatened to abstain from sex unless she put away her diaphragm. Left with such a choice, Weston became pregnant almost instantly, and so was able to introduce her readers to all the wonders and horrors of a typical modern-urban gestation. Cravings for potatoes and fears of miscarriage led to worries over money and career stagnation after baby Elizabeth arrived, but this author weathered all with a cheery attitude and even resolved, during a respite in the journey, to repeat the whole process. Though Weston's affection for her daughter, her relish for the maternal role, and her unusually carefree life give this book a warm, positive tone, her anecdotes prove sufficiently run-of-the-mill (except for an interesting detour into New York's baby-modeling industry) to convince readers that happy families really must be all alike—and a bit humdrum. Okay, but not as appealing as Joan Leonard's Tales from Toddler Hell (reviewed above).