paemerich's review
4.0
Though there are many references in these books that are dated and may even be foreign to some readers, these books still contain a great deal of truth about being a working mother. There are some really hard-hitting truths and thoughts sprinkled in with the humor. In addition, these are books that -- at one time -- were bathroom reading because they could be read in small chunks over time. And for those of us that grew up during Bombeck's hayday, there is a great deal of nostalgia. I would definitely recommend these books.
shelleyrae's review
5.0
I'm not sure how old I was when I stumbled across one of Erma Bombeck's books, The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank, in a second hand bookstore though I think I was maybe in my mid teens. I hadn't really read anything by a humourist before and I wasn't expecting to find much in a book written by an old (from my perspective), American housewife amusing but I did. In fact I think it was probably the first book that actually made me laugh out loud. After that I kept an eye out for anything else by Erma, at that stage (in the late 1980's) she had published 8 books but they were difficult to find in Australia. Over the years I have managed to collect five of her books, and read 2 others (courtesy the library).
The Erma Bombeck Collection includes two of the books I already own - The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank, and If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits? and a third I hadn't managed to get a hold of Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession.
It's delightful to discover just how timeless Erma Bombeck's sense of humour is. Despite the generation gap and the seismic changes in society, her domestic commentary is still as relevant as it was 40 years ago.
My children regularly ambush me with the need for a costume/cake/working model of a rocket ship the night before it is needed, my husband can never find anything on a shelf in the pantry or fridge without my help and I haven't seen the floor in my teenage daughter's room for years. No matter if you are the mother of toddlers or teenagers, and regardless of whether you are a stay at home mum or work full time, it is easy to relate to Erma's light-hearted diatribes.
Hilarious, heartwarming and at times poignant, this is a wonderful collection of three of Erma Bombeck's best, and a thoroughly entertaining read.
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