The Mother Zone: Love, Sex, and Laundry in the Modern Family

Magazine journalist Jackson, who had her first and only child, a boy, at age 37, found that motherhood was every bit as exciting and rewarding--and frustrating and unnerving--as her career. Her humorous, frank and passionate account of her metamorphosis into a mother (``There's no preparation for the alchemy of the self that takes place during motherhood'') begins with her meeting of Casey's father-to-be, Brian. She describes her son's conception and birth, the experiences of breastfeeding and weaning, the merry-go-round of sitters and day-care centers, Casey's six-month-long bout with whooping cough and the absurdity of birthday party loot bags. Grounded in details, Jackson's observations are part of a broader reflection on the continuing process of mothering (``Bad patches come and go and are completely convincing as long as they last''). Entertaining and gutsy, her account will warm and console parents. (Jan.)