Accidentally on Purpose: The True Tale of a Happy Single Mother [Paperback]

At thirty-nine, movie critic Mary Pols knew she wanted to have a baby. But never—not in a million years—on her own. When she finds herself unexpec­tedly expecting, she plunges into the greatest adventure of her life. With humor, insight, and compelling honesty, Pols reveals what it means to compromise in the name of love and to find joy in an accidental life, suddenly brimming with purpose.

[Pols writes] with humor and grace. . . . Its rare to find such honesty, even in an account so personal. Grade: A-Sharp, witty and slightly self-deprecating, she alternates clever, camera-ready one-liners with intense self-revelations about parents, children, love and family&.Ms. Pols is a charming and insightful storyteller, and her memoir is both engrossing and endearing ...Her writing is mesmerizing and lyrical. I laughed and cried and shook my head at some of her choices, but I rooted for her and her son the whole way.Much as Polss story resembles the Judd Apatow movie, it is distinct in its heartfelt description of a woman who has come up against the edge of youth and expectation.Its funny, intimate, wise, and real, and we get to root for forty?something Mary, her twentysomething coparent, Matt, and their little son, Dolan, now four.Amid joy and heartbreak, Pols grows from a self-absorbed and judgmental whiner into a self-aware adult and loving mother. Its her transformation that makes this memoir an unforgettable read.Bay Area film critic Pols chronicles her unexpected pregnancy and journey into not-quite-single motherhood&.A page-turner by someone who stopped waiting for Mr. Perfect.Candid and unaffected, Pols provides an important lesson about not being willing to compromise herself, and that being brave can bring the richest rewards.& a well-written, emotionally honest memoir of Pols journey to motherhood and increased maturity&. She details with wit and humor her efforts to juggle her many challenges&...far transcends itsl“ä