Bringing Up Bebe

Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I came upon this book by multiple recommendations and it was way better than I expected it to be.

First of all, the book is created in two parts. In the first part, the author describes her life as a mother in France and her parental shock on the difference of bringing up the baby in a completely different baby culture. As she outlines french baby care and compares it to the American one that she has experienced herself, we see a drastic difference. When American parents are pushing their kids into the educating world and trying to raise their IQ at an early age, french parents taking a step back, letting their kids “discover” the world, and take their time to simply be a child.

The book concentrates not only on how to raise the child but also on how to keep the relationship between the parents.

The author does not praise one set of cultural parenting, but simply compares the two. Lists explanations and examples. While there are multiple differences not only in the culture between the two countries, the author also sheds the light on the French government and the help it offers for the parents and kids, which must have been taken into consideration while comparing the parenting techniques and styles between the countries.

I’ve read a few books on parenting and must admit that this book was the best. It’s easy to read, very simply explained and I love the examples. And cant wait to use many of the listed tips when the time comes.



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Too Good To Be True

Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was glued to the book from the very first page. Enjoyed the style of the novel was written – the three timelines narrated by three main characters.

After many years of suffering from OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), Sky finally found a man who did not only accepted her quirky behavior, but loved and shared her passion, future goals, and showered her with his attention. After a short six months, Burke proposed, and another six months later they exchanged their vows in a lavish ceremony in front of family and friends.

However, the happiness was short-lived. After the spectacular honeymoon, Sky returned home to a devastating discovery. Burke, the man that vowed to love and protect her for the rest of her life turned out to be an imposter. More than that, Sky and Burke’s history was way more complicated… it began more than twenty years earlier and involved her mother and… Burke’s real wife.

I must say, I could not put the novel down till probably 2/3 of the book. It turned into a sappy love triangle afterward. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the ending, and in my opinion, it didn’t stand up to a strong begging of the novel. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel.



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