Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy – Polly Walker

It took me a while to read this one. For the first half to two-thirds of the book, I found it very hard going, largely because I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for the main character (too shallow and narcissistic) and because the tone of it was unremittingly negative (yes, I know being a mum is hard work, but can’t we make the point with some humour?)

However at some point in the book it did eventually pick up. I both liked and believed in the happy ending, and I started to enjoy some of the characters (Alice in particular).

It’s kind of a shame it took me so long to get into because this book makes serious points on a range of topics. In particular the experience of going back to work after maternity was particularly well dealt with, and a touch I particularly liked was the fact that the evil boss was female – avoiding making the suggestion that everything bad is exclusively the fault of men.

Enlightening more than enjoyable.