I received this book for Christmas and think I had it finished within two sittings… It is H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S!!!!
I read the final few chapters on the train home to Brighton after spending Christmas with my parents and found myself laugh out loud LOLLING in a carriage full of strangers with Ettie asleep next to me! They weren’t even small controllable LOL’s, these were the kind of LOL’s which start in your belly, work their way up your windpipe and the expel themselves out of your body through your tightly pursed mouth making a huge raspberry sound as they depart! Very embarrassing, but if I’m honest I was enjoying the book too much to care, so sorry fellow passengers!
If you’re a fan of Katies blog then you’ll already appreciate her sarcy sense of humour and potty mouth. She’s a real life mum making jokes out of day to day things which – let’s face it if we didn’t laugh about, would drive us crazy!
All the Lol’s
Hurrah for Gin is laugh out loud funny in many, many places but also touchingly sweet and sensitive in others. If you’re a parent there are so many things you will be able to relate to that don’t get talked about in the usual parenting books! Her witty take on life proves its perfectly normal to love your children with the whole of your heart, but also find them incredibly irritating at times too.
The book itself is an observational real life guide to parenthood from pregnancy to starting school. It includes a series of hilarious anecdotes from Katies life with her husband J and two young boys Big Bro and Little Bro. Its these real life observations which make the book so witty. I challenge anyone not to relate to the frustration felt when the rest of the NCT groups babies are sleeping in 12 hour stints and your little darling is only just managing two hours!!
All About Art
Accompanied by clever stick men drawings, Katie tells it exactly as it is, using humour to say the things that most parents are too scared to admit.
I love the simplicity of her drawings and yet they hit the nail on the head… sometimes kids are annoying and gin is the only thing to stop yourself repeatedly hitting your head off a wall until the noise stops!
Its not all about Gin
She also touches on the emotional issue of baby loss in a hugely respectful and sensitive way by explaining about the loss of their daughter who they sadly said goodbye to soon after their first scan. Having experienced a similar situation I can understand the internal conflict she must have felt in deciding whether to include such a devastating memory in what is meant to be a light hearted book, but also wanting to include a reference to their first child in a book which is effectively about her family. I’m so glad she decided on the latter, baby loss shouldn’t be something we shy away from because it is awkward to talk about. The life, as short as it was, was still a life and it will stay part of a Mum forever. Katie manages to demonstrate this in a touching, matter of fact way which reminds us that life can be shit sometimes, but we can move on and talking about it wont break us.
Final Thoughts
After reading the book I’ve decided Katie you are my spirit animal and I can’t wait for your next book! I hope to bump into you in Hove one day and we can discuss fish-finger sandwiches over a large Gin and Tonic – with elderflower tonic of course! I mean it is Hove 😉
Hurrah For Gin : A book for perfectly imperfect parents is available through Coronet Publishing on Amazon here: Hurrah for Gin: A book for perfectly imperfect parents
You can also catch up on Kates hilarious Blog hurrahforgin.com and Instagram feed here Hurrah For Gin
