THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF LIFE

A memoir focuses on motherhood and life as a military spouse.

Molinari, a mother of three and wife of a naval intelligence officer, offers wit and wisdom in her book. Her husband, Francis, now retired, served on an anti-terrorism task force, and his career included deployments around the world. As a result, the family lived in Germany, Florida, and Rhode Island. The author shouldered the parenting duties alone during Francis’ yearlong deployment in Djibouti. In addition to the typical tasks of a stay-at-home mom, Molinari organized a rigorous calendar of therapies and monitored play dates for her son, Hayden, who was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. To relieve stress, the author began writing. The lively and resonant memoir builds on her work as a columnist and blogger. She compares the book to a sitcom with a key distinction: “Unlike sitcoms…the meaning in my reality is not always clear. It often gets muddled with the trivial, mundane, and chaotic details in my daily routine.” Molinari captures visiting the orthodontist, tackling taxes, and working out as brief episodes. There are essays about chores, milestones, and Christmas. In an essay about a summer vacation with her extended family, “personal secrets were inevitably revealed,” the author writes. Anti-fungal ointments, heavy mayonnaise, and large undergarments emerge: “Admittedly, my Jockeys ‘For Her’ were ample enough to fold over several times.” Readers will relish Molinari’s self-deprecating anecdotes about aging, marriage, and anxiety. The volume includes memorable one-liners (“I’ve got more culture in my upturned pinkie than you’d get from a case of Chobani”) as well as lessons on hard work and gratitude. Readers may wish for more about Hayden’s childhood years. The author writes consistently about his younger sisters as children while Hayden emerges from his diagnosis as a teen. (He is now an engineer.) With just glimpses of his progress, readers will likely be unable to appreciate his significant strides. Tonally, though, the details of Hayden’s journey are perhaps best left for another book. In this one, there is a palpable sense of wonder for everything from a dog’s shedding to parenthood: “It’s an incredible privilege to watch a human being grow.”

Memorable autobiographical essays capturing the service of motherhood with candor, humor, and grace.