Bomb Shelter is a stunning new memoir-in-essays by Mary Laura Philpott, author ofI Miss You When I Blink (one of my all time favorites). In Bomb Shelter, Philpott writes about motherhood, womanhood, and the beautiful normalcy of daily life. The book begins with the night her teenage son fell to the ground, experiencing a seizure, and was diagnosed with epilepsy. From there, Philpott contemplates love and time — how we have control over neither, and how hard that is to accept. As her children near adulthood and her parents grow older, as she starts to worry about her cholesterol and grows increasingly attached to her face cream, Philpott writes about her improbable desire to keep everyone, including herself, healthy, safe, and somehow frozen in time. Bomb Shelter is the journey of a lifelong worrier attempting to embrace uncertainty, and I loved each and every step.

Often compared to writers like Nora Ephron and Laurie Colwin, Philpott has that uncanny ability to make readers feel instantly at home. She writes with honesty and self-deprecating humor, warmth and a little bit of Southern charm, and I always finish her essays feeling like I do after chatting with a friend. As a young woman, I haven’t yet experienced so many of the things in Philpott’s essays; I’m not married and I’m not a mother, and I haven’t had to deal with situations like caring for an aging parent. And yet, each of her stories feels so familiar. I had so many “Me, too!” moments while reading Bomb Shelter, and I think so many readers will also see themselves in Philpott. The fears, worries, and hopes that she shares so openly are universal, and to see her treat them with humor and compassion feels like the greatest comfort. I loved this book and want to share it with everyone I know — Bomb Shelter is an absolute gift.

I’d recommend this book to…

• Anyone who appreciates a nonfiction writer who can make daily life seem incandescent… it’s similar in tone to These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
• Anyone who wants to read about the messy and beautiful reality of motherhood… it’s similar in theme to Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
• Anyone who loves when essays feel like brilliant conversations… it’s similar in style to I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron