As author and mom Rebecca Woolf has been making her way up the West Coast promoting her new book Rockabye: From Wild to Child, our last round of bloggers have been writing their reviews.

A well-read and well-liked blogger, Rebecca tells her story about the challenging and yet joyous transition from partier to parent (and everything in between), and like the first group of bloggers felt, this group was also captivated.

If anything, the bloggers were taken aback by her honesty, or as one blogger put it “heart-scraping” honesty.

Heart-scraping honesty that lays bare the kind of deep-seeded fear and anxiety that accompanies nearly every moment of pregnancy and motherhood while making perfectly clear the fierce hope and love that accompanies that fear. Heart-scraping honesty that allows for a vivid and visceral expression of the exhilaration of motherhood, of the feeling - both terrifying and thrilling - of being flung into the abyss with no bungee cord, only the hope of soft landing, or flight.

Another added this:

What I love most about Rebecca’s book (and her blog) is her fearlessness, and her frankness: the messiness of the urine-soaked counter as she disbelievingly lines up a half-dozen positive pregnancy tests; her rage at being knocked up at 23; her doubt surrounding the sustainability of her relationship with new-ish lover Hal; her determination to throw away the books and parent by instinct.

Others were taken by her sincere expression of non-conformity, that in parenting our own children, there is only our gut, our own instinct to guide us. As one mom noted, “It would be easy to say that the majority of parents that I encounter on a daily basis live by the so called “book” and for them that is great but that concept made me feel a little bit Stepford. I’m weird like that. Conformity has a place, just not near me. I don’t judge those who do live that way, I figure whatever works for you and your family is the best thing for you and your family.” Later the same mom had this to say: “Nothing like having the toughest, most important job in the world, coupled with a constant fight against of tide of crap from mainstream media, assvice, unsolicited advice, and a public attitude that sometimes seems to scream “we know what’s best for YOUR child“.”

Don’t be fooled that this is just a soak-your-hanky book. It’s full of beautiful expressions of love, and lots of great laughs as well. “This book made me laugh out loud and I was sharing bits with my husband — especially about her arguments with her husband, Hal.”

And what’s telling is that even if you don’t think you can relate to Rebecca’s specific situation, the book still speaks to every mother. “Her circumstances of love, marriage, and motherhood may be out of the ordinary, but Rebecca Woolf is one mother from whom we can all learn.”

Make sure you check out the last two reviews of Rebecca’s book (today!) by Binky and Motherhood Uncensored, and join me as I talk to Rebecca LIVE on Wednesday from 9-9:30pm EST on my podcast.

If you don’t have a copy yet, you can purchase it via Amazon!

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Don’t forget about to tell us how you want to be recognized this Mother’s Day as part of our Blog Blast through May 8. And make sure to check back every Friday for more exciting writing topics and prizes.

Also, feel free to join us for a virtual baby shower today! Didn’t think it was possible — check it out!