Murphy's Moments...& Books-Someone Will Be With You Shortly by Lisa Kogan

After reading the boring and depressing The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, I wanted my next book to be quick, light, and easy. Someone Will Be With You Shortly is sort of an autobiography, written in first person by the author. Lisa Kogan is a writer for none other then O Magazine, and this book was recommended as a great summer read. The book is only about 180 pages, which was a breeze compared to the other books I've read this summer. Lisa tells stories about her life and she tells them with such wit and humor. Each chapter tells a quick story, completely different from the chapter before. Its as if she's sitting, curled up at the other end of the couch just chatting.

She's a busy, 49 year old,  single mom of a 6 year old and I couldn't believe how much we have in common. One of my favorite moments in the book is when she had just had her baby a few weeks prior and she was in some sort of small, low key, neighborhood deli having what she called a "perfect moment" where she meets a sweet little old lady. Lisa and the lady share stories while waiting in line about the history they share with the neighborhood deli. Lisa feels like this lady is her soul mate and they share such a deep and pure connection until as she states, "My new buddy suddenly reached out her little bony liver-spotted hand, patted my baby-free middle, and asked the one question nobody should ever ask: 'When are you due?'" Lisa continues with, after figuring the old lady must have had "some sort of death wish," with this paragraph: "I don't care if the woman you're asking is wearing a T-shirt with a giant rhinestone-encrusted arrow that points to her belly and reads BABY ON BOARD. I don't care if she's writhing on a gurney in the birthing room of Mount Sinai Hospital, screaming for an epidural as an obstetrician announces, 'One more push and the baby will be out!' You never, never, ever, under any circumstances, ask a woman when she's due. 'June,' I replied to the lady." I laughed so hard, because the same thing happened to me in Badcocks. The sales lady asked me if I "knew what I was having?" and I replied, "um... no" The sales lady then said, "Oh, so you are keeping it a surprise?! How neat!" and I said, "Oh yeah, we're keeping it a big surprise," and never wore that dress again.

There was a huge "light bulb" moment for me in the book. Lisa had this one passage that I literally read over and over-I even read it to my husband, because it summed up what I had been doing. It was if those words were written by me. On page 155 Lisa said: "I allowed myself to gain weight, and maybe as a punishment, or maybe as a form of denial, or maybe because I couldn't find plus-sized clothes that corresponded to the way I wanted to look (simple, sleek, modern, with just a hint of bling), I gave up on trying to look any way at all. I stopped paying attention to myself and hoped everyone else would have the decency to do the same." Ugh, I'm teary eyed just typing that, it's exactly what I have been doing and how I've felt, down to the wanting of "simple, sleek, modern" style of clothes.

Anyway, Someone Will Be With You Shortly was exactly what I was looking for as far as a segue book and more.

Out of 5 Stars I give this book- 4 stars

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? IF SO, PLEASE POST A COMMENT SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS!! IF NOT, GO CHECK IT OUT FROM YOU LOCAL LIBRARY & WE CAN DISCUSS IT HERE ON MY BLOG!