I was afraid this novel would be a light romp about the "mommy wars." It's about new-to-the-neighborhood, Celeste, the uber stay-at-home mom of 3, and workaholic Wendy, mother of 2 who are polar opposites and unwilling to give the other the benefit of the doubt. Sparks fly whenever they're together.
At a kids sports program potluck fundraiser, both Celeste and Wendy bring their own versions of sangria. Competitive much? Wendy's was the typical type that the sports parents always request but Celeste's was a pink version made with some artisanal obscure vodka. Of course, Wendy tasted Celeste's on the sly. Of course. Both women drank a little bit too much so weren't surprised when they woke up hungover the next morning. What did surprise them, though, was that they woke up in each other's beds, in each other's bodies, next to each other's husbands.
You know the phrase, Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes? That's basically what this novel was about. In other words, don't make a judgement about how another woman might mother since you really don't know what goes on in her house behind closed doors.
That's only true until you switch bodies with someone. Then you have a right to judge. Sort of. Well, at least until understanding sets in.
I remember thinking when I downloaded this e-book that in my 60s I'm probably too old for storylines like this one. And maybe I am. Had I read this book when I was in my 30s or 40s, it probably would have hit a little too close to home. At my age, I was able to read it both for enjoyment and for it to spark some recollections.
I thought about being the married mother of three who might as well have been a single parent for all the help with childrearing and household things I got from my former husband. While I was still married, I worked part-time as a travel agent. This brought back memories of not fitting in with the full-time working moms nor with the stay-at-home moms. The full-time working moms considered my job a hobby and the stay-at-home moms wondered why I bothered working just to cover the cost of childcare. I then thought about determining what my choices might be once I was truly a single mother. Would my work as an independent contractor travel agent and trainer of travel agents be enough to provide for my family's needs? Child support was a help but it wasn't enough. I realized that I enjoyed the training part of my work much more than the booking of trips. (Although I will also love researching for trip planning. That is now a hobby.) At the same time, I realized that I truly enjoyed volunteering in the classrooms of my children. That's what made me consider going back to school to become an elementary school teacher. YES! I thought about all this as I was reading The Seven Day Switch.
I did have one kind of funny memory pop up while I was reading, too. When the kids were little, we belonged to our local Jewish Community Center. We probably spent nearly as many waking hours at the JCC as we did at our house. We'd frequently see this mom and her two kids at the JCC. The mom had some impressive career in her family's business. She was always neatly dressed, in full makeup. The kids were always well behaved. In the snack bar while my kids were eating chicken nuggets, her kids were eating hummus and carrots. They never seemed rushed. The dad would often show up as well. That's how they got dubbed as "the perfect family." I'd talk to a good friend of mine who didn't live near me and she'd hear all about "the perfect family" to the point that she'd ask about them if I didn't bring them up in conversation. I had not thought about "the perfect family" in quite some time. Now I really wonder what life was like behind their closed doors. Who am I kidding? They were probably perfect behind closed doors. Ha ha.
Quick entertaining book to pick up if any of what I've written about strikes your fancy.
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