Being a parent isn’t like learning to drive, our training for a competition, or going to school. There’s no finish line, no test to pass. No instruction manual.

Even God had Bad Parenting Days is a heartfelt, funny and poignant book that captures the complicated , Joyous, sometimes difficult journey through early parenthood. Think Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things for parents with a splash of Judaism. A memoir in essays – honest, pithy and entertaining, each one packs a punch with insights both parents and those considering parenthood can incorporate into daily life, whether Jewish or not.

When Alicia Jo Rabins became a mother, face with surprising layers of loss and discomfort and earth-shattering joy, she found the Jewish texts and traditions supported her as never before. Over and over, they reminded her that she wasn’t alone. The Torah is full of stories about people who are just like us: doing their best, making mistakes, getting overwhelmed, starting over again, keeping going,.

About The Author: Alicia Jo Rabins is a writer, musician, composer, perform and Torah teacher whose works explore the intersection of ancient wisdom texts with everyday life. Divinity School, her first book of poetry, was selected by D.D.Wright for the APR/Honickman First Book Prize; her second poetry collection, fruit Geode, was a National Jewish Book Award finalist. her poems and personal essays have appeared in Ploughshares, Tin House, Table, and American Poetry Review, among others. She is also the creator and performer of A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff, an award-winning independent feature film and Girls in Trouble, a song series and curriculum about the complicated lives of Biblical women. She live in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children.