First---I liked this book, However, the title is still bothering me. The Ten Year NAP?? I'm totally missing why the word "nap" is used for this period of time covered in the interconnected lives of the four women who are the central characters in the book. I'm having trouble coming up with the word I want in there instead, even though the ten years are anything BUT a nap. I could completely relate to a huge chunk of the things the women thought and said and that was fun. I also liked the length of time covered---ten years gives you a good picture of the four lives. Where are they in another ten years---a shorter book or a longer one next time? ( )

As a stay-at-home (ha!) mother of three, albeit all younger than 10 years old, children, I was profoundly connected to this book. I encountered a small part of myself in almost every single character. I delighted in the differences between the women and their relationships with their children and spouse. The way friendships shifted over time and with circumstance. The way perception is not reality on any of the fronts on which we do battle daily. Overall a great read for any educated mother who has made the choice to stay home. ( )

I enjoyed The Ten Year Nap, it was very different than what I had expected it to be. Ms. Wolitzer is able to clearly transcribe the harried thought process of a mother. She puts on paper many of the secret thoughts that race through our minds as our children grow away from us. The characters were interesting--even those I didn't like (Amy!)--and the friendships were real and strong. The coffee shop moments were especially dear as they triggered warm memories of the (not often enough) times I take to connect with my friends.
While the friendships were real and at times I felt Ms. Wolitzer could read minds, I didn't feel a strong connection to the women themselves. Perhaps because I'm not a city girl, I had a difficult time identifying with the main characters. There was a strong current of being incomplete without corporate work-which is not something I personally struggle with often, if at all. I would have liked to have seen at least one mother secure and confident in her choice to stay home.
That said, I think this would make a great chick-flick. Someone should snatch up the rights! ( )

I tried and tried to read this, but I got bogged down in the constant change of characters and generations.

Meg Wolitzer's novel, The Ten Year Nap, is a thoughtful look at the lives of stay at home mothers. Amy, Jill, Roberta, and Karen all gave up careers to stay home with their children. Although they anticipated going back to work at some point, over time motherhood and marriage have defined their lives. Each have their own reasons for stay home after their children begin attending school and as the years slip by them, the idea of going back to work becomes more uncomfortable.

The Ten Year Nap is very different from the types of novels that I generally read. Most of my reading is full of action, with a definite conflict that needs to be resolved, and characters that can be identified as heroes or villains. I greatly enjoyed taking a break from these fast-paced novels to read a more thoughtful examination of daily life. As a woman with a professional degree who is now staying home with my daughter, I was able to easily identify with the main characters. In today's society so much of who we are is defined by what we do and people are often unsure of how to respond to someone who gives up a career to be a full-time parent.

Wolitzer carefully examines her characters' insecurities and strengths, the state of their marriages and friendships, and their relationships with their children. She brings out their inner thoughts which many of us are so reluctant to share. She answers the question of what these women do all day when their children are at school. Short glimpses between chapters also relate the influence of the past on the present.

The language used in this novel flows easily, almost musical in nature. The reader is drawn into the lives of the characters through the small details. Initially there is a sense that some of the characters are stagnant, stuck in their routine. They desire more but are unsure of how or what needs to be added to their lives to create a sense of fulfillment. Small changes are often all that is needed to propel the women forward.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think it would make a great book club selection as it could spark a great discussion. ( )