Novels which feature the reality of life with young children

[Lilipot15]

I like reading but since I've had my two small children have found it very difficult to get into reading again. Have had some books recommended to me here, I enjoy things like Anne Tyler.
But lots of books (and TV shows and films) seem so far-removed from my life at the moment.
I don't really like chick lit light stuff. Wondered if there are any books I could identify a bit with at the moment?

[firefly78]

Ive just started night waking is her child really called moth!!!

[Indiaplain]

Short for Timothy

[firefly78]

thank you that makes sense and is rather cute

[bibliomania]

Another recommendation for Helen Simpson's short stories, especially Hey Yeah Right Get a Life.

I also adore The Diary of a Provincial Lady and by the same author, The Way Things Are.

[tripfiction]

Blackheath by Adam Baron is just out... a tale about marriage and parenthood

[HopeClearwater]

A Life's Work by Rachel Cusk is unremittingly depressing though, and she comes across as extremely self-centred. For a happier view, try Making Babies by Anne Enright.

[lamprey42]

The l-shaped room trilogy Lynne Reid banks.

[impostersyndrome]

I love The L-Shaped Room trilogy! It's hard to comprehend how different attitudes were to unwed mothers only a generation ago.

I also highly recommend Sarah Moss' memoir of a year spent in Iceland with her young family. www.goodreads.com/book/show/15942921-names-for-the-sea

[ParsleyTheLion1]

characterisation of the children (and their speech) in the Cazalet chronicles is superb.
And those books contain, in my view, the most evocative and spot on descriptions of breastfeeding I've ever come across in fiction

[PenguinVox]

Which of the Cazalet chronicles have descriptions of breastfeeding, Parlsley? Ive only read the first two and can't remember any (I like it when breastfeeding is mentioned in fiction, after having spent many years breastfeeding).

[kaymondo]

I was going to suggest 'i don't know how she does it' but see a PP has beat me to it!

[LauraVonSlim]

I second 'the hand that first held mine' by Maggie O'Farrell. Beautifully written and captures the shock, joy, anxiety etc of having your first child perfectly.

[BertieBotts]

The foster carer ones by Cathy Glass and Casey Watson are fairly young-children orientated but they read like a Take a Break article (complete with "we were just tucking into a sunday roast with all the trimmings when...") and sometimes they have horrible details of child abuse in. And also sometimes (often) the main character comes across as so perfectly organised and sorted that it doesn't seem very realistic.

Watch Over Me by Daniela Sarcodoti made me cry unexpectedly with the description of how hard the (absent) mother character found motherhood, but it doesn't have many everyday scenes with small children.

I can't remember or find the title now but I read a great book when I was pregnant about an American woman who was visiting London and went into premature labour, possibly with either twins or triplets, I can't remember now, that was really good. It was called Special Delivery or something like that but apparently there are lots of books called Special Delivery, and none of them are this one!

[ParsleyTheLion1]

Oh no PenquinVox, I'm afraid I don't recall exactly....it was at least 3 times I think....one occasion was Zoe (Rupert's wife) nursing Juliet. Another must have been Polly nursing one of her children....
I listened to the entire Chronicles on audiobook when my DS was between the age of 6 months and 12 months. Mostly I listened whilst I was breastfeeding...and in the dark at night when he was in my room and I couldn't have the light on to read. It was a real joy to lose myself in those brilliant books.

[littleducks]

Inspired by this thread I have bought and read the kindle versions of the Bridget Jones About a boy and The Night wakenings. Cried about Mr Darcy alot but really enjoyed both.

I read 'I don't know how she does it' a few years ago and enjoyed it as I recognised the descriptions of late night fake bakes (used to but plain fairy cakes then ice them myself). The film was not as good.