A white single mother adopts a black child in south Texas and learns what it means to build a family.

Both the story of Monroe's steady rise into the professional class and a parallel history of unsuitable exes, this memoir reminds us how accidental even a good life can be. Funny, poignant, wise, My Unsentimental Education explores the confusion that ensues when a working-class girl ends up far from where she began.

Shortly after the book’s protagonists moved into their apartment complex in Sarajevo, they, like many others, were overcome by the 1992-1995 war and the disintegration of socialist Yugoslavia More than a decade later, in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina, they felt they were collectively stuck in a time warp where nothing seemed to be as it should be. Starting from everyday concerns, this book paints a compassionate yet critical portrait of people’s sense that they were in limbo, trapped in a seemingly endless “Meantime.” Ethnographically investigating yearnings for “normal lives” in the European semi-periphery, it proposes fresh analytical tools to explore how the time and place in which we are caught shape our hopes and fears.

Presents stories of love, marriage, sex, heartache, and unfulfilled dreams

As we struggle to survive the chaos and confusion of the 21st century, we must each reach our own truth and perspective on life. We must gain knowledge and the wisdom to put it to good use. We want to be accepted, to be loved, to feel free to be what we are, and in so doing we strive to be “normal,” even if it doesn’t fit our personal agenda. But by being kind, respectful, and tolerant, one by one, we can all make a difference. It Is Normal to Be Normal is an unpretentious yet powerful philosophy that strives to make sense out of this tumultuous world!

School Library Journal Best Book * ALA Notable Children’s Book * New York Public Library’s “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing” * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best * Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice * Connecticut Book Award Winner * American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award Winner This poignant and joyful novel is filled with meaningful moments and emotional resonance. Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie's mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. Addie’s mother is bipolar, and she often neglects Addie. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie home, where she wants to be with her half-sisters and her stepfather. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal. “A heroine with spunk and spirit offers an inspiring lesson in perseverance and hope. First-rate.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

I've never took the time to tell anyone who I am. To be honest no one will truly know who they are. Most people still find themselves lost and like them I am still finding myself. I was born in North Carolina on August 5, 1978. I moved around a lot at first from state to state till my parents decided to go separate ways. I believe that was the turning point in my life. My mother was now both. I eventually moved to Baton Rouge, LA where I currently reside at now. I grew up for the most part like everyone else. I had friends and girlfriends a normal childhood I would say. After graduating high school I quickly joined the United States Navy where I learned a great deal of hardship and knowledge, but for the most part it changed me for the better rather than worse. I got married then divorced then married and divorced once again. Yes, that's right twice. Let's just say we had differences. I got out of the Navy on May, 16th 2005 and finally returned to where I started. I'm here and in many ways I'm not. My mind often wonders where to go next, but with time I'll know. I'm a hopeless romantic always thinking with my heart and always taking chances on my heart even when I already see the obvious outcome. I have a son whom I love more than life and I have my family which has given me support any time I needed it. As you read my thoughts and my questions you will be able to identify who I am and how I think. I'm not complicated, but some people may think I am. I have a twist in poetry. I do not use hard complicated words where you would need a dictionary to understand the meaning and I rarely rhyme, but on occasion I do. I love the sound of the ocean and the feel of course sand between my toes . I am very trust worthy although people seem to take that for granted. I trust people as far as I can throw them. Nah I'm just playing. I trust certain people to a point like most people you have to earn trust it's not something you can easily give away. I am very outgoing, but in some