Adult Conversation: A Novel

By: Brandy Ferner

Narrated by: Brandy Ferner

Length: 7 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

April is a thoughtful yet sarcastic mother of two who tries her best to be a caring, connected mom in a middle-class culture where motherhood has become relentless. April rages at modern motherhood’s impossible pressures, her husband’s “Dad privilege”, and her kids’ incessant snack requests. She wants to enjoy motherhood, but her idealist vision and lived experience are in constant conflict with one another. Is she broken - or is motherhood?

Desperate for an answer, she seeks out a therapist, and lands with an unexpected woman whose validation and wisdom gives April the clarity to reclaim herself and even start designing clothes - her pre-motherhood passion. But when the ever-elusive babysitter cancels last-minute, April finds herself back at square one. She seeks guidance, but her therapist is now dealing with her own crumbling marriage - and instead of counseling April, she convinces her to speed off to Las Vegas to help catch her husband cheating. With a little weed, alcohol, and topless pool hopping, plus a male stripper and some much-needed autonomy, the two find lost pieces of themselves that motherhood swallowed up. But neither one is prepared for how tested - and tempted - they will be, or for the life-altering choices their journey will force them to make. Who is guiding whom anymore?

©2020 Brandy Ferner (P)2020 Brandy Ferner

Must read for Stay at home moms who feel lost

This book made me feel seen. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me feel so not alone in the motherhood journey.

Loved this! A book all moms could relate to!

I knew I loved Brandy’s podcast but feared her book wouldn’t stand up to that or my expectations of a good novel. I was pleasantly supersized and couldn’t put it down! It far exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed the story as much as the real life parallels to motherhood today. I feel like this is a book anyone could relate to but especially moms (and that’s all moms, wether you work inside or outside of the home).

It’s just all around amazing, the narration, plot, descriptive detail and length are all 5 huge stars! Hope she writes another one!

FINALLY, a book a mom can fully relate to!

Best moment of the book: Brandy coining the phrase 'parenting with a gun to your head' as describing the frantic, desperate manner in which us moms try to appease one or multiple young children (usually with a toddler) in order to restore something of a calm ish atmosphere, or at least stop the screeching whining and wailing!
I've honestly been looking for a book from the perspective of a mom with young kids, ever since my own life has been consumed by baby-bosses, stinky diapers and soft wet kisses. This book delivers. Brandy drops as many truth-bombs as F-bombs and each one feels refreshing and hilariously validating. I'm not one to swear a bunch myself, but any mom knows the panicky moments when it feels like the world is crashing down, she's lost control, and for some crazy reason curse words lighten the load just enough to keep going.

I eventually came to like Brandy's voice as the narrator, but it did take a few chapters to get used to her. If you're put off by the way she reads the book, just give it a few chapters and I promise it gets better.

The most impactful aspect of this book, and biggest reason why I will be telling my friends to read it: the spotlight Brandy shines on parenting inequality. She is able to detangle the necessary burdens of motherhood, and what culture has unfairly placed upon the shoulders of the mothers in our society. I loved how she portrays a very honest and sometimes uncomfortable view of how the husband, Aaron, despite how deeply he cares for his wife, follows the script of our society and doesn't even see how much she's struggling and how much he's NOT DOING. He's neither a hero nor a villain, but is what so many of husbands of our time are. I was shocked at how close to my own marital issues the book came. Just get the book!! There's no way you won't benefit in some way from it, parent or not, mom or not, woman or not.

I feel seen

So much of what she writes feel like she’s seen my life and been inside my head. Describing my mundane life but adding a fantastical adventure to it. Her voice is so perfect for this too! Thank you Brandi!