Dana Bowman

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From the moment their children are born, mothers are under tremendous pressure to be “perfect.” They are expected to keep their emotions in check during grocery-aisle tantrums, engage their children regularly with Pinterest-worthy activities, and eschew jarred baby food for organic, homemade creations. Living up to these kinds of expectations is challenging enough without also having to manage the coping mechanisms we employ to handle this kind of pressure. For moms who struggle with alcoholism, parenting can prove to be especially challenging.

Humorist Dana Bowman candidly details these struggles in HOW TO BE PERFECT LIKE ME (A Central Recovery Press paperback; on sale August 21, 2018), the follow-up to her award-winning memoir, Bottled. Offering comic relief and encouragement to moms seeking a coping mechanism for the day-to-day expectations and monotonous schedules of family life, Bowman draws on her hilariously relatable experiences to guide readers to insightful conclusions. Parents from all backgrounds will appreciate Bowman’s playful sarcasm and unbridled observations in wry chapters such as:

• How to Stop Buying All the Self-Help Books
• How to Relapse in Footie Pajamas
• How to Shop at Costco and Not Give into Despair
• How to Be Married and Content at the Same Time

• How to Escape Your Family

Tackling heavy issues such as overwhelming dread, marital dissatisfaction, death of loved ones, and the depression accompanying parenthood, HOW TO BE PERFECT LIKE ME rejects quick fixes and opts for radical acceptance. And, it is Bowman’s profound choice to embrace humor in the face of despair rather than to relentlessly live up to society’s unattainable ideals that liberates her readers from oppressive perfectionism.

Written for those who worry that their entire purpose in life has been reduced to wiping down counters, as well as for moms who have found themselves helplessly drinking vodka from Veggie Tales sippy cups, this insightful and entertaining book is a much-needed, empathic guide for parents seeking encouragement on the path to sobriety.