I received a review copy in the mail last week of Mary Pols’ memoir, Accidentally on Purpose. It’s the story of how Pols, a newspaper film critic in San Francisco, got pregnant at age 39 from a one-night stand and decided to keep the baby. This book catapulted to the top of my massive (and recently re-ordered) TBR pile. I am not sure why – good timing, I guess. I was in the mood for it, and it didn’t disappoint. Pols is brutally honest in the book – about her desire for a life partner, her sadness over the deaths of her parents, her mixed feelings about the father of her child, and the unconventional way that she became a mother. Her writing style is natural and funny, and the book is a pleasure to read.
Here is a good Salon interview with Pols (with a healthy dialogue in the Letters section) about societal views of single moms and how she gets along with her son’s father.
In September, CBS will be airing a new sitcom based on Pols’ memoir, also titled Accidentally on Purpose, starring Jenna Elman. Before the sitcom airs in the fall, there may be a Q&A with Mary Pols on this blog, a giveaway, and possibly a private screening of the pilot. Stay tuned.
In the interim, if the topic of this memoir appeals to you, give it a read. I am glad that I did. Here are some other blog reviews of Accidentally on Purpose:
Gloria from Mother Talkers
Q&A with Mary Pols from Single Mom Seeking.