Andrea's Reviews > Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy in Childhood's Messy Years

I have long admired the profound and yet wholly irreverent wisdom of Catherine Newman. Her writing is at once clever, hilarious, self-deprecating, fierce, opinionated, wry, and deep.
Now you can read all of her insights in this remarkable collection of essays. When Catherine's son Ben turns 12 at the end, it’s a triumph and a turning point. He has grown up from this spunky wise toddler to the brink of teenagehood. This must be the toughest part of parenting: the inevitable letting go. She crystallizes and brings all the joy and loss of parenthood to light. Yet her sunny funny demeanor belies this truth-seeking strength and heartbreaking ache to her work. I am forever grateful that her thoughtful stories have helped me get through the ups and downs of parenting my own daughter. I can’t wait to read her novel!