I Wanted to Be Wonderful - by Lihi Lapid (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This book begins where most love stories leave off: at the beginning of real life.

I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL follows the lives of two women in their first years of marriage and motherhood. One is a fictional character trying to live the happily-ever-after many imagine for themselves, and the second woman is inspired by the author herself, relating the most intimate moments of her life.

Both couples start their marriages full of idyllic happiness, but as the stressors of everyday life seep into their daily lives, that spark of young love begins to dim. It's a story of metamorphosis, from independent working woman to mother, helpless in the face of the discovery that her daughter may need more from her than she ever thought possible.

In trenchant, thoughtful prose, Lihi Lapid tells a braided story of women struggling to live up to modern pressures: a story about shattered dreams, and about finding the strength to gather up the pieces and to learn to smile again.

Review Quotes

"[An] insightful and poignant novel. Individuals of all faiths will relate to the challenges inherent in marriage and raising children, and will certainly benefit from Lapid's wake-up call to choose real-life happiness in a world of fairy-tale expectations."
--Publishers Weekly

"An unflinching account of the challenges, so quotidian yet so momentous, faced by anyone who makes the radical transition from the promise and freedom of a childless life into the overwhelming responsibilities of parenthood."
--The Jerusalem Report

"Refreshingly, daringly honest."
--The Jerusalem Post

"Unabashedly describes modern motherhood and all its foibles."
--Haaretz

About the Author

Lihi Lapid is an author and journalist whose books deal with contemporary women's issues. She is the author of the bestselling novel in Israel, Secrets from Within, and On Her Own; a cookbook entitled Lihi Lapid's Favorite Recipes, and a bestselling children's book, The Magic Whisper. Prior to becoming a writer, Ms. Lapid was a professional photographer. Educated at the prestigious Camera Obscura School of Art and Tel Aviv University, she served in the Israel Defense Forces as a photographer for its Bamachane magazine. She lives in Tel Aviv with her husband, Yair Lapid, the former prime minister of Israel, and their two children.