THE GIFT OF AN ORDINARY DAY A Mother's Memoir

Many of us have had a stressful year, but few of us could write about it so lyrically. Even fewer could read this "mother's memoir" with such eloquence. In a voice so clear that you don't miss a word, Kenison describes her family's move and subsequent metamorphosis from a suburban Boston lifestyle to a rural New Hampshire existence, complete with hectic schedules, bunking in with grandparents, and the inevitable cost overruns of renovation. In the midst of this, she loses her longtime editing job. You may find her reading to be lacking in tonal variation, but you can't miss her love of family, empathy with her two very different teenage sons, sensitivity to nature, and optimism as they’re revealed in this very personal journal. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2010]