I Don't Know How She Does It

Allison Pearson's first novel offers a painful, if hilarious, glimpse into the life of Kate Reddy, harried wife, mother, and successful account executive with a London brokerage firm. Kate carries more on her shoulders than Atlas. Her balancing act between her home life and sudden calls to international conferences makes for mind-boggling overachieving. Narrator Josephine Bailey displays a remarkable range of voices. Children's voices are uncannily real, as are the stay-at-home moms Kate calls the "Mommy Mafia." Her portrayals of the men--husband Richard; Aussie boss; American client and would-be lover; and Winston, the philosophizing Rasta cabdriver--are spot-on. Bailey doesn't try to SOUND male; her attitude BECOMES male. Pearson's observations and Bailey's delivery are achingly accurate. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine


Meet Kate Reddy, mother of two small children, architect's wife, hedge-fund manager for a prestigious international company headquartered in London, and "priority-juggler." Emma Fielding introduces the listener to Reddy's daily roller-coaster routine. Reddy's wit is her saving grace as she deals with the unexpected on an hour-by-hour basis. Fielding is believable and quite charming in a frenetic performance that captures a female executive on the fast track, who, ironically, is unable to disclose her maternal responsibilities to the company she has helped make so profitable. Any working mother who has been told I don't know how you do it will find this story near and dear to her heart. B.J.P. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine