BACK TO WORK AFTER BABY

Name: BACK TO WORK AFTER BABY
Author: Lori Mihalich-Levin
ISBN: 978-0-692-82163-3

HOW TO PLAN AND NAVIGATE A MINDFUL RETURN FROM MATERNITY LEAVE

by Lori Mihalich-Levin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2017

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A guide for mothers returning to the workplace after maternity leave.

In her nonfiction work, Mihalich-Levin (Medicaid Graduate Medical Education Payments, 2013, etc.) draws on her own experiences to present a point-by-point, concept-by-concept overview of the issues and attitudes faced by new mothers going back to work. After the birth of her first child, the author noticed that there was a lack of books on this subject, and her dissatisfaction only deepened after the birth of her second child. She created a blog called Mindful Return, on which she oversaw an online community of mothers in the same predicament. This book is the distillation of their discussions. It naturally has ample advice on the practical side of returning to the workplace: “how to nourish her baby, how to find a child care provider she trusts, and how to get out the door (relatively) on time and without spit-up all over herself in the morning.” The author consults medical experts and other mothers on such questions as how to get enough sleep, maintain a balanced diet, and get some exercise. Some chapters dig deeper, drawing on Mihalich-Levin’s six years of working-motherhood to offer engaging and potentially very helpful advice regarding stress, guilt, and the bewildering logistics of balancing the challenges of everyday life with the care of one’s child. Indeed, the book’s focus on the baby’s priority never wavers: “Remember: committing to getting yourself organized and learning new mama tricks of the trade can free up your precious brain space to focus on your even more precious baby.” And whether it’s dealing with day care centers, nannies, or too-short weekends, Mihalich-Levin’s prose is always humorous and approachable. Young mothers reading these chapters will feel themselves in the company of a sympathetic friend. A lively, readable trove of invaluable personal and practical advice for new moms.

Pub Date: April 11, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-692-82163-3

Page Count: 203

Publisher: Mindful Return

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.