Why Have Kids?: A New Mom Explores the Truth about Parenting and Happiness

Preparental fantasies about the joys of having children often bear little resemblance to the reality of actually rearing them. Here Velenti addresses the problems facing new parents—many of whom might not be prepared for modern-day child rearing. Emily Beresford does a capable job of narrating this audio edition. She reads crisply, though with few variations in cadence and tone. The result is sometimes hypnotic—which, in this case, isn’t a good thing. Valenti’s book requires attention and consideration, and some listeners may find themselves tuning out Beresford’s performance. A New Harvest hardcover. (Sept.)