I Miss You When I Blink: Essays

Written by Mary Laura Philpott

Narrated by Mary Laura Philpott

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A charmingly relatable and wise memoir-in-essays by acclaimed writer and bookseller Mary Laura Philpott, “the modern day reincarnation of…Nora Ephron, Erma Bombeck, Jean Kerr, and Laurie Colwin—all rolled into one” (The Washington Post), about what happened after she checked off all the boxes on a successful life’s to-do list and realized she might need to reinvent the list—and herself.

Mary Laura Philpott thought she’d cracked the code: Always be right, and you’ll always be happy.

But once she’d completed her life’s to-do list (job, spouse, house, babies—check!), she found that instead of feeling content and successful, she felt anxious. Lost. Stuck in a daily grind of overflowing calendars, grueling small talk, and sprawling traffic. She’d done everything “right” but still felt all wrong. What’s the worse failure, she wondered: smiling and staying the course, or blowing it all up and running away? And are those the only options?

Taking on the conflicting pressures of modern adulthood, Philpott provides a “frank and funny look at what happens when, in the midst of a tidy life, there occur impossible-to-ignore tugs toward creativity, meaning, and the possibility of something more” (Southern Living). She offers up her own stories to show that identity crises don’t happen just once or only at midlife and reassures us that small, recurring personal re-inventions are both normal and necessary. Most of all, in this “warm embrace of a life lived imperfectly” (Esquire), Philpott shows that when you stop feeling satisfied with your life, you don’t have to burn it all down. You can call upon your many selves to figure out who you are, who you’re not, and where you belong. Who among us isn’t trying to do that?

“Be forewarned that you’ll laugh out loud and cry, probably in the same essay. Philpott has a wonderful way of finding humor, even in darker moments. This is a book you’ll want to buy for yourself and every other woman you know” (Real Simple).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Apr 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781508278757

Mary Laura Philpott

Mary Laura Philpott, nationally bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink and Bomb Shelter, writes essays and memoirs that examine the overlap of the absurd and the profound in everyday life. Her writing has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, among many other publications. A former bookseller, she also hosted an interview program on Nashville Public Television for several years. Mary Laura lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her family.

Reviews for I Miss You When I Blink

[josegarmar2704 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed most of the book, but at some point, it didn't feel as good as the beginning. The last part was kind of rushed, and we didn't get to know how she managed the consequences of the decisions she made. Anyway, it was good overall.

[Emily · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it - very relatable. Would recommend to perfectionists.

[m · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed many of these essays - I did skip over a lot in the middle where it gets super graphic about the yucky parts of pregnancy/childbirth. But the beginning and end parts are wonderful listens.

[booklover915 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary Laura Philpott weighs in on a variety of subjects in her engaging and entertaining collection of essays, "I Miss You When I Blink." The title is a sentence that Philpott's six-year-old son said to himself one day. She realized he had inadvertently captured an attitude that she had about herself, and his words became her mantra, like "certain phrases handy in our minds—hanging on hooks just inside the door."

The author, who is married with two children, is a cartoonist and freelance writer who, she reveals, has sometimes felt like an underachiever whom the world had passed by. She describes herself as a type A personality who is "addicted to getting things right," and declares, "I hate that I can't relax." Whatever happened to that ambitious college student who looked forward to fulfilling herself professionally? The answer is that she was there all along, waiting to be acknowledged. Mary Laura's comments reflect her self-deprecating honesty, humor, and insight into human nature. We can identify with this down-to-earth and witty individual who chats with ease on such topics as parenthood, perfectionism, volunteerism, and even the perfect murder weapon. Her appealing prose style ranges from breezy to biting, and she lucidly and succinctly puts her finger on issues that women often think about but do not always choose to air in public.

Philpott is embarrassed to admit that she became depressed at a time when she had much to celebrate: a nurturing family, nice home, and good physical health. Unfortunately, she was "staggering under the weight of a dull, constant dread" in spite of having "the luck and support that should have made [her] feel safe and happy and secure." She wisely sought the help of a therapist and eventually found her voice. This book makes us laugh out loud and also reminds us that it not necessary to excel at everything one undertakes. The cliché holds true: the things that we take for granted are often the most significant of all. If only we were all blessed with the wisdom, presence of mind, and perspective to see not just the trees, but the forest as well.

[Maksym Piekart · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovelovelove. Its like a good talk from a friend! So glad i could find it!

[maria · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book! Her voice is perfect for narrating and her essays were from different times in her life which made it very interesting.

[Jason McCoy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one was a little tough for me. I didn’t really love this book, nor did I hate it. It’s odd for me to say but I felt I enjoyed the middle of this book the most. Some sections seemed to drag but the sections/chapters where the author let her humor and wit shine through were entertaining.

[atinyartist · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was absolutely amazing and 100% relatable! I loved it!

[leeann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved the book itself - made me laugh out loud multiple times. Hated the change in narrater several hours in just to change back in the last hour or so of the book.

[booklover1801 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary Laura Philpott weighs in on a variety of subjects in her engaging and entertaining collection of essays, "I Miss You When I Blink." The title is a sentence that Philpott's six-year-old son said to himself one day. She realized he had inadvertently captured an attitude that she had about herself, and his words became her mantra, like "certain phrases handy in our minds—hanging on hooks just inside the door."

The author, who is married with two children, is a cartoonist and freelance writer who, she reveals, has sometimes felt like an underachiever whom the world had passed by. She describes herself as a type A personality who is "addicted to getting things right," and declares, "I hate that I can't relax." Whatever happened to that ambitious college student who looked forward to fulfilling herself professionally? The answer is that she was there all along, waiting to be acknowledged. Mary Laura's comments reflect her self-deprecating honesty, humor, and insight into human nature. We can identify with this down-to-earth and witty individual who chats with ease on such topics as parenthood, perfectionism, volunteerism, and even the perfect murder weapon. Her appealing prose style ranges from breezy to biting, and she lucidly and succinctly puts her finger on issues that women often think about but do not always choose to air in public.

Philpott is embarrassed to admit that she became depressed at a time when she had much to celebrate: a nurturing family, nice home, and good physical health. Unfortunately, she was "staggering under the weight of a dull, constant dread" in spite of having "the luck and support that should have made [her] feel safe and happy and secure." She wisely sought the help of a therapist and eventually found her voice. This book makes us laugh out loud and also reminds us that it not necessary to excel at everything one undertakes. The cliché holds true: the things that we take for granted are often the most significant of all. If only we were all blessed with the wisdom, presence of mind, and perspective to see not just the trees, but the forest as well.

[lavender3-149720 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I did indeed find this in the Dollar Tree making it the second well written book I found there. I am glad it was there because I could afford it. I love the diary style of each chapter. Taking me to each time period of Mary's life and the lesson she eventually learned. I hope she is always evolving and feeling her emotions in a way that serves her. I hope her kids will read her books and understand her a little better. She is not just mom, daughter, author, or wife... she is Mary Laura sometimes boring, always type A, and ever changing. I think its cool to see how other people live. Find love, have kids in a different way, and stress over the mundane of life challanges that do matter and are important in their own way. I hope to have these things one day. A pet that my family loves and will grieve when they pass. A loving relationship that doesn't abandon me when things get hard because it won't always be easy. Travel in places I won't exactly fit in or be happy and the ability to move to somewhere I do. In my personal opinon the chapter about her awful ex from college should have been called RED FLAGS. I enjoyed this book. I hope the people I lend it to can absorb the concept. Sure it doesn't really connect with me in some aspects culturally or in experiences but it doesn't have to all the time. Good job Mary A .

[kimmeyer-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really loved this collection! They were the perfect length, as well as so smart and funny and charming. I think everyone can find something to relate to here. [ARC provided by Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.]

[sandsing7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes a book comes along at the right time in your life and says exactly what you didn’t know you needed to hear. I loved it.