Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First YearOperating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year
Score Modern
What it's about
Anne Lamott kept a journal through the first year of her son Sam's life. She was thirty-five, newly sober, broke and raising him alone, with the help of friends, her church and her best friend Pammy, who learned during that year that she had cancer. The journal records the colic, the exhaustion and the overwhelming love.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction. It's one of the funniest and most honest books ever written about new parenthood, and Lamott's voice makes even the hard parts warm.
You'll love it if you liked
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?
A Grief ObservedGood to know
Lamott writes openly about her Christian faith and her sobriety. Pammy's illness gives the book a sad thread alongside the comedy.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller11 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #293 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #583 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
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Quick answers
Is Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction. It ranks #583 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year about?
Anne Lamott kept a journal through the first year of her son Sam's life. She was thirty-five, newly sober, broke and raising him alone, with the help of friends, her church and her best friend Pammy, who learned during that year that she had cancer. The journal records the colic, the exhaustion and the overwhelming love.
How long does it take to read Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year?
About 6 hours (251 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year?
If you liked it, try Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast or A Grief Observed by CS Lewis.