I don't know how she manages

As a true heroine of our times, Kate Reddy proves that it's never too late to reinvent yourself and rewrite your story. Hilarious and moving, I Don't Know How She Does It represents women of all ages who have found themselves struggling to keep up with everything without losing their stride.

Kate Reddy had it all: a beautiful home, two adorable kids, a good husband. Then her kids became teenagers (read: monsters). Her husband, Richard, quit his job and started drinking green potions, wearing head-to-toe spandex, and spending his time—and their money—mastering the art of mindfulness. Since Richard doesn't see earning a regular income as part of the path to enlightenment, Kate is left to go back to work.

Companies aren't necessarily interested in hiring 49-year-old mothers, so Kate does what she has to do: shave a few years off her age, joins a group of women returning to the workforce, and prepares a resume with a chance of winning a literary prize for experimental fiction. While she learns a few tricks to survive in her new job, Jack, an old flame, reappears—and that's not even the beginning of Kate's problems...

I Don't Know How She Does It is a coming-of-age novel for turning fifty. It's about much more than simply finding balance—it's about starting over, growing old, falling, and getting back up again. About discovering who you are and what you need to feel alive when you've become accustomed to always being the last option. Every page will leave readers feeling like there's a little bit of Kate Reddy in all of us.

"Fiercely funny and sharply insightful. It couldn't be more timely or delightful. Allison Pearson is capable of inducing uncontrollable laughter." - USA Today

"Pearson nails it in conveying the cluelessness and helplessness parents feel when raising teenagers obsessed with games and social media. Readers will root for Kate as she grows into a powerful, mature woman." - Publishers Weekly

“Brilliant, funny, and sensitive... Dealing with sexism, growing older, and understanding one's own needs while meeting the needs of so many others... Pearson writes realism with all the fun of escapism.” - Booklist