Publicists promoting the book suggest she is a modern-day Erma Bombeck, and Winik seems to find the label flattering. Winik also writes about the frustrations of parenthood more graphically than Bombeck ever did. Winik describes an afternoon party she tried to attend with the boys, then 4 and 6. Every day, I wake up filled with resolve and good intentions, perfection in view, and every day I somehow stray from the path. The difference is with dieting, I usually make it to lunch.
Most parents can identify, and the pages zip by.
From the vantage point of this newspaper desk, Winik, with three books under her belt and the NPR gig, has it made. But there may be a crossroads just ahead. Claudia Feldman is a lifestyle reporter for the Chronicle.