The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir

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Overview

The Gift of an Ordinary Day is an intimate memoir of a family in transition-boys becoming teenagers, careers ending and new ones opening up, an attempt to find a deeper sense of place, and a slower pace, in a small New England town. It is a story of mid-life longings and discoveries, of lessons learned in the search for home and a new sense of purpose, and the bittersweet intensity of life with teenagers—holding on, letting go.

Poised on the ...

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The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother's Memoir

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More About This Book

Overview

The Gift of an Ordinary Day is an intimate memoir of a family in transition-boys becoming teenagers, careers ending and new ones opening up, an attempt to find a deeper sense of place, and a slower pace, in a small New England town. It is a story of mid-life longings and discoveries, of lessons learned in the search for home and a new sense of purpose, and the bittersweet intensity of life with teenagers—holding on, letting go.

Poised on the threshold between family life as she's always known it and her older son's departure for college, Kenison is surprised to find that the times she treasures most are the ordinary, unremarkable moments of everyday life, the very moments that she once took for granted, or rushed right through without noticing at all.

The relationships, hopes, and dreams that Kenison illuminates will touch women's hearts, and her words will inspire mothers everywhere as they try to make peace with the inevitable changes in store.

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Editorial Reviews

Family Circle Magazine
This eloquent book is ...about longing and fulfillment , taking stock of failures and achievements, a search for the elusive "something more" of one's existence-and a reminder that life's seemingly mundane moments are often where we find beauty, grace and transformation.
—
Thomas Moore
An honest, graceful book that every parent will appreciate. In the thick of challenging changes, emotional troughs, and tender realizations the reader will find comfort and guidance. Here is a fine writer, a dedicated mother, and a spiritual seeker speaking intimately to parents in search of wisdom.
— author of Care of the Soul and Writing in the Sand
Nancy Mellon
How I admire this mid-life mom, who writes with strong contemplative spirit and a heart wide open to change. Her memoir is a courageous and generous contribution to deepening American family life.
— author of Body Eloquence
Lisa Garrigues
The Gift of an Ordinary Day is much more than a memoir of motherhood; it is an inspired and inspiring meditation on midlife. What Katrina Kenison gives mothers-her gift-is the promise of reinventing ourselves as our kids grow up and we grow older, and the assurance of an invitingly abundant landscape on the far side of parenthood.
— author of Writing Motherhood
Publishers Weekly
In her second affecting memoir about motherhood and nurturing (after Mitten Strings for God), Kenison, here at middle age with two sons in their teens, pursues with graceful serenity a time of enormous upheaval and transformation in her family's life. As her sons grew out of babyhood and into the “new, unknown territory” of adolescence, she no longer felt clear about what her life's purpose was supposed to be; their comfortable suburban Boston house of 13 years grew restraining, and Kenison longed for a simpler, more nature-connected lifestyle. Since neither she nor her husband, a publishing executive, was tied to a workplace (indeed, she was suddenly let go as the series editor of The Best American Short Stories after 16 years), they were content to be rootless for over three years, living mostly with Kenison's parents until the building of their new home on bucolic hilltop land purchased in New Hampshire was completed. Meanwhile, Kenison's youngest, Jack, began a new high school, while the older boy, Henry, a musician, applied to colleges, and the family had to adjust both to the move and to the startling, delightful pleasures of country life. (Sept.)
Kirkus Reviews
From the author of Mitten Strings for God (2000), another gentle reminder to mothers to slow down and savor the joys of the quotidian. For Kenison, ordinary days were in somewhat short supply in the period covered by this memoir. She decided that her suburban Massachusetts community was too high-pressure and competitive, and that her family would be better off in a more leisurely rural setting. Before finding a new home, the Kenisons sold theirs and moved into her parents' home along with their two adolescent sons. The house they found in New Hampshire was a run-down, 200-year-old summer cottage. After camping out in it for one idyllic summer, they tore it down and designed and built a new, larger house. While constructing a house is a process normally fraught with tension, the Kenisons' experience was aggravated by the fact that she unexpectedly lost the job she had held for 16 years, as series editor of The Best American Short Stories. Eventually the new house was, if not completed, at least in move-in condition. As they settled in, the author's older son, Henry, was in his final year of high school, and anxiety about college admission replaced construction concerns, at least for the author. Kenison, who writes of the necessity of letting go of one's children, apparently had a hard time actually doing it, and the space devoted to Henry's struggles and accomplishments seems disproportionate to the rest of the text. Meanwhile, her younger son was going through an exasperating teenage rebellion. "I am constantly reminded of just how high adolescents highs can be on any given day and just how low the lows," she writes. "What I love most, though, are the rare and deliciously peacefulplateaus in between."Kenison's wise comments on what she calls "the humble business of life" are often a pleasure to read. With repetition, however, the sweetness quotient becomes cloying. Agent: Mary Evans/Mary Evans Literary Agency
Jane Hamilton
Kenison writes so beautifully and clearly about what is most important in family life.
— author of A Map of the World and Laura Rider's Masterpiece
Beth Kephart
With an honesty and intimacy rarely achieved in modern memoir, Katrina Kenison dissolves yearning into its complex, sensate parts. This is a book about mid-life want and loss. It is also a most knowing book about a most gracious love-about the gifts that are returned to those who find beauty where it falls.
— author, House of Dance
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780446409490
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • Publication date: 9/30/2010
  • Pages: 321
  • Sales rank: 37,602
  • Product dimensions: 5.30 (w) x 7.90 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Katrina Kenison is the author of Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry (Warner Books, 2000). She has appeared on Oprah and other shows. Her writing has appeared in O, Real Simple, Family Circle, Redbook, Better Homes and Gardens, Health,and other publications. From 1990 until 2006, Kenison was the series editor of The Best American Short Stories, published annually by Houghton Mifflin. She co-edited, with John Updike, The Best American Short Stories of the Century (Houghton Mifflin, 2000). She wrote, with Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga (Random House, 2002).

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 119 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(44)

4 Star

(23)

3 Star

(20)

2 Star

(17)

1 Star

(15)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 120 Customer Reviews

  • Posted November 18, 2009

    A Book That Touches the Heart And Allows You To See the Beautiful in the Ordinary

    I don't remember the last time my heart was so touched by a book, if ever. Being a mother of boys really helped me identify with the author and her experiences. What a great reminder to slow down and appreciate the beauty in the simple days and remember that things will change eventually, so to live in the moment. The book also did a great job of helping us to see the beauty in our children and to not measure their successes based on what the world says they should be or do, but to love and appreciate them for who they are. I think this is such an important thing to remember to be able to support your children's unique gifts and talents. Just a great book that has certainly changed my view on life and makes me want to be a better mother to my boys in these precious fleeting years I have with them.

    13 out of 16 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted May 16, 2012

    I Also Recommend:

    Ancient Legends Books 1-3 Discounted Offer

    enjoyed this book as much as mitten strings for gods! I could ea

    enjoyed this book as much as mitten strings for gods! I could easily relate to this book.

    11 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted November 19, 2009

    A must read for mothers of all ages

    I too bought this book after walking by it and thinking the cover was lovely. I began reading it in the store and couldn't put it down after carrying it around to grab a few pages here and there. It is important for all mothers of any age, however it will mean the most for women right at the authors age (myself included) who have teenagers beginning to separate from you. Her statements about mothering little children and the day-in-day-out routines we too often pass off as mundane are juxtaposed with mothering teenagers when each day is a different kind of challenge. What was so insular and simple when our children were young often becomes a daily battle when our babies are all of a sudden young adults. It made me stop and think about the little moments that make up a day and to cherish the noise in the house, the mess on the counter, . . . things we are all too quick to want to neaten or quiet. These moments make up a loving family life and are fleeting. However they are often swept under the rug as annoyances; this book helps you to see beauty in simplicity. I want to buy a copy for all my friends and give them as gifts and I will refer back to it often for inspiration. This author strikes a cord with mothers facing new challenges and realizing the days of being needed every moment are drawing to an end. It's not all melancholy as the book is really a journey to find yourself after years of defining oneself by motherhood. It is an entertaining and joyful wake-up call to remember what we all too often don't realize until it is too late; appreciate THIS day, it is your life!

    9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 3, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Loved it!

    As the mother of two growing boys, I found this book both sad and enlightening. It really has made me think about our day to day life and how quickly things will change as they grow. I definitely identified with the author. Can't wait to read another of her books.

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 17, 2012

    Pampered Lifestyle

    Most people looking for a "more simple lifestyle" would have to do so on a far more constrained budget than the author. She moves into a new house and helps older son travel to various private colleges and apply at multiple places. It is hard to relate to some of these problems.

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 10, 2010

    Speaks to the soul of every empty nester

    This selection is the best book I have ever read ! Kenison puts into words what every mother-every parent-experiences as her children grow up and away.

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 27, 2009

    Good Intention~Bad Delivery

    This is a memoir from a mother who is getting close to having an empty nest. Her son Henry is 17 and thinking about colleges. Jack is going into high school. To top off those already stressful situations, they are moving to a new town and building a new house. Together they go through many emotional ups and downs. But you know that through it all, love is very much present. There is some very good advice in this book, mainly that you should cherish every day. I felt that this book had a poor poor pitiful me aspect to it. When her son gets a low score on his SSAT, she is upset almost to the point of devastation. I have a daughter who has made honor roll all the way through school who is now in college, just a few months from getting her degree. She has made the deans list many times. If she were to get a low score, it would without a doubt be very upsetting to her and that would be what would bother me, not the score. Another thing that I didn't like was the wordage. The book would have affected me more if it was not so repetitive. And all the hoity toity-ness about did me in. I'm just a simple girl trying to read a book that is full of fancy talk and butterfly kisses. Don't get me wrong, I love books that are descriptive, but this was a little over the top for me. The one paragraph that almost made me cover my eyes and scream "no more" was:
    I envisioned myself as a sort of house heroine, not a house wrecker. So coming to terms with the idea of knocking down the house had been hard enough. To me, it seemed almost akin to adopting a child, only to give up and send the child back-
    (page 73, paragraph 2)
    What????? How could anyone compare tearing down a house with the loss of a child? Under any circumstance?

    I did finish this book, and I do agree that we need to recognize even the small stuff in our lives for the blessings they are, but the rest of it was not a good fit for my mind.

    3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 18, 2011

    AWFUL

    This was by far the worst book I have read in the last five years. I was so disappointed. The author is nauseating. As a working mother of three children, it was impossible for me to relate to this obviously "spoiled" mother. Put your money toward a good book - not this one.

    2 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 13, 2011

    Good

    The book was good, written very well but at times very slow and it felt like she was repeating herself over and over and over.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 21, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Unreadable

    The description sounds so promising, but Kenison jumps around from past to present from motherhood to house renovations with no rhyme or reason that after 50 or so pages I had to toss it.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 2, 2013

    A friend of mine, a writer, recommended this book.  I did not li

    A friend of mine, a writer, recommended this book.  I did not like it.  Typical of
    this type of writer (many others like her) we have this  - life's beautiful journey
    sort of thing happening.  The money helps I'm sure.  I would like to say to this writer - look around you,
    there are so many women who are really up against it - these are the women I want to hear from.
     Not some spoiled lady - gee, building a house, oh ugh, wow.  Kid got low test scores - what  will the neighbors think.  It is just so shallow and selfish. and boring.  

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 15, 2009

    Truly inspiring, a must read for every mother

    I bought this book on a whim, because the cover was so beautiful. In this case, I'm happy to say, you really can tell a book by its cover; I was not disappointed. Kenison writes beautifully about all the things every woman confronts --the challenges of growing older, realize that some dreams will never come true, and that our children won't need us 24/7 forever. The way that she struggles with change in her own life, and then learns to find joy and meaning in small, daily pleasures inspired me to pause to look at my life in a different way. Even though my children are still young, and my day-to-day life is totally different, I know that this book will be a guide through what's to come. A great book group book, and one that I plan to give to friends whose kids have left for college.

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 1, 2012

    Loved thus book

    This book was refreshing

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 1, 2012

    Slow

    I liked the meaning of the story but i thought it was a little drawn out. The chapters were to long to keep my attention.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 24, 2012

    Surprisingly Good Find

    I am about halfway complete and am finding this to be a surprisingly good find. The writing is very descriptive and full of color. Definite recommendation.

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  • Posted June 23, 2012

    Must read!

    THE GIFT of an ORDINARY DAY is a remarkable heart warming story of a mother's journey will raising two sons. One son is a special needs child that overcomes obstacles. The other son is gifted and athletic. This is a spiritual journey that enlightens with insights for that A HA moment! The author crafts many insights to her journey for this time in her life. Katrina Kenison also has the wisdom to trust and let go to the next part of her life.
    I am using this novel as a spiritual guide for meditation. The author weaves and crafts answer to daily living.T

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 20, 2012

    dislike

    I did not care for this book at all. Very slow moving!

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  • Posted March 19, 2012

    I enjoyed this

    I really enjoyed the Youtube of the author reading an excerpt of her book. The book was good but not sure others that aren't in similar life stage would enjoy as much. I have 2 sons as well who are getting ready to fly the coop so I could relate.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 25, 2012

    I really enjoyed this book.

    I have two teenage sons and our lives have recently changed dramatically so it was easy for me to relate.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 17, 2011

    Love this book!!!!

    This book is so beautifully written. Katrina Kenison truly captures the joys and sorrows of motherhood. She inspires her readers to treasure the simple things in life, especially the time spent with our children. This book makes a great gift!!!

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