Work Pause Thrive

December 19, 2016
As Stromberg relates in her thoughtful debut, she never thought she’d interrupt her high-flying career as an ad exec. But after a pre-term labor scare during the second of her three pregnancies, her
priorities changed, and she quit to be with her children. When ready to reenter the workforce, she rebranded herself as a
journalist and consultant, deciding she’d paused her career rather than halting it. This book presents Stromberg’s personal view of how to navigate a work-over-family culture, sharing what she learned from her experience and from a survey of 186 mothers and several fathers with
similar experiences. Using a sensitive yet no-nonsense approach, she discusses the trajectories of non-linear careers, the “mommy wars,” the politics of childcare, and the increasingly engaged role of men in their children’s lives. She also addresses ideal worker bias (a preference for the worker who is available at all hours) and motherhood bias (assuming that
non-mothers are more committed to
their jobs) in the workplace. Stuffed with
realistic but inspiring stories and concrete advice, this is a healthy reminder that those who pause to place the personal before the professional are not failures. Agent: Brandi Bowles, Foundry Literary + Media.

Starred review from January 1, 2017
This book is a must-read for every woman who values her career, wants to be available to raise children, and is ready to take on the worldby taking a pause. Those who read Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (2013) or Anne-Marie Slaughter's popular 2012 Atlantic article, Why Women Still Can't Have it All, will find this to be a welcome middle ground. With this breakthrough book, Stromberg demonstrates that she's a strong, detail-oriented journalist who weaves an engaging story. Readers will be hooked by the second page of the intro. In addition to sharing her personal experience, Stromberg shares the results of numerous interviews and close to 1,500 survey responses that focus on parents who re-enter a career after taking a pause, not just plowing through or opting out. She also provides useful strategies and examples for making the pause count, e.g., Strategy #1: Don't Skimp on Your Maternity Leave. Work Pause Thrive is what I wish I had when I was embarking on my journey as a woman, a professional, and a mother, writes the author. Readers around the country will want it, too. Highly recommended for public-library collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)