The Bridge to Take When Things Get Serious
"Lori Jakiela is the queen of the wise one-liner.  Fiercely sad and heartbreakingly funny, The Bridge to Take When Things Get Serious is about the mystery of the people closest to us-how they drive us crazy and why we need them so much."-Stewart O'Nan, author ofEmily, AloneandTheOdds."This beautiful evocation of life with a fierce, hilarious, iconically mind-boggling mother is both heart-breaking and heart-expanding. The book looks at what it means to be truly rooted and devoted to place, to parents as they age and eventually die, to husband and children who come along as a shocking surprise. This is a highly original writer who commemorates life with great humor and a radical, poetic simplicity that allows you see your own life anew."-- Jane McCafferty, best-selling author ofFirst You Try Everythingand more"Jakiela is on a lively quest to once and for all end the listlessness of life, and she has the strength to do it! This memoir will knock you out with its high energy, unstoppable humor, and stirring tenderness."- Deb Olin Unferth, author ofRevolutionand more"Finally, a working-class memoir that tells the truth about mothers and daughters -- and daughters and their wild lives and unexpected adventures -- in language sharp as a broken bottle. Every page offers a moment, a scene, an insight, or some beautiful combination of the three, that made me laugh out loud or recoil in recognition. This is a brilliant book about what it means to grow up, to grow old, and to hold on." -Alicia Erian, author ofTowelheadand more"Lori Jakiela's painfully funny memoir "The Bridge  to Take When Things Get Serious" is so good you'll wonder why the author isn't the literary toast of the entire  country by now...Part of the unabashed fun of reading this book is seeing familiar landmarks  through the eyes of an exceptionally talented writer who is only one New  York Times book review away from a national reputation. This memoir may  not be the last word on the volatile subject of mother/daughter relationships, but it is already among the most honest and best written this  decade." -- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette