Operating Instructions Book Summary

Operating Instructions is a raw and heartfelt memoir chronicling Anne Lamott's tumultuous first year of single motherhood. Navigating the chaos of newborn care, spiritual questioning, and the complexities of love, Lamott's wit and vulnerability shine through in every page. As she grapples with self-doubt and the weight of responsibility, readers are invited into her intimate journey of faith and resilience. With humor and honesty, she transforms mundane moments into profound reflections on life and growth. This compelling narrative leaves us pondering the beauty and challenges of parenting, ultimately sparking curiosity about our own stories of transformation.

By Anne Lamott

Published: 2011

"“Parenting is like a long trip in a strange place; you get lost and end up somewhere you hadn’t planned to be.”"

Book Review of Operating Instructions

With the same brilliant combination of humor and warmth she brought to bestseller Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott gives us a smart, funny, and comforting chronicle of single motherhood. It’s not like she’s the only woman to ever have a baby. At thirty-five. On her own. But Anne Lamott makes it all fresh in her now-classic account of how she and her son and numerous friends and neighbors and some strangers survived and thrived in that all important first year. From finding out that her baby is a boy (and getting used to the idea) to finding out that her best friend and greatest supporter Pam will die of cancer (and not getting used to that idea), with a generous amount of wit and faith (but very little piousness), Lamott narrates the great and small events that make up a woman’s life. "Lamott has a conversational style that perfectly conveys her friendly, self-depricating humor." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review "Lamott is a wonderfully lithe writer .... Anyone who has ever had a hard time facing a perfectly ordinary day will identify." -- Chicago Tribune

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“Parenting is like a long trip in a strange place; you get lost and end up somewhere you hadn’t planned to be.”

Operating Instructions

By Anne Lamott