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In celebration of Independent Bookstore Day, shop our limited-time sale on bestselling audiobooks from April 22nd-28th. Don’t miss out—purchases support Hudson Booksellers!
Shop nowBomb Shelter
Narrator
Mary Laura Philpott
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Length
7 hours 2 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“I have so much love for Bomb Shelter, as a mom, a woman, an animal lover, and simply as a fellow human. I love Mary Laura’s humor and her compassionate and certain voice. I can’t wait to share this book with EVERYONE!”
— Sue Kowalski • The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn
Bookseller recommendation
“Philpott has a wicked sense of humor. In Bomb Shelter she deftly balances humor with very personal topics, such a serious medical condition that is affecting her teenage son and a revelation from her father regarding the nature of his job when Philpott was a child, which inspires the title of the memoir. Bomb Shelter is not only a book that I enjoyed immensely and will recommend widely, but it is book that I will purchase to give as gifts to friends.”
— Karen • Tattered Cover
Bookseller recommendation
“The world is pretty anxious-making these days, so recommending a book in which the author wrestles with their own anxiety might seem counterintuitive, but having read (and loved) Mary Laura Philpott’s debut essay collection, I Miss You When I Blink, I knew I was in the safest of safe hands. In Bomb Shelter, Philpott takes all the fear/messiness/worry of being a human/parent/child and makes it... not all better, necessarily, but lighter. Less lonely. And funny! This is a warm, reassuring hug of a book for any worrier who could use one.”
— Tove • Powell's Books
A New York Times Editors’ Choice
One of NPR’s Best Books of the Year
“A beautifully wrought ode to life…a precious gift to the world.” —The Washington Post
From the bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink comes a poignant and powerful new memoir that tackles the big questions of life, death, and existential fear with humor and hope.
As a daughter, mother, and friend, Mary Laura Philpott considered herself an “anxious optimist”—a natural worrier with a stubborn sense of good cheer. And while she didn’t really think she had any sort of magical protective powers, she believed in her heart that as long as she loved her people enough, she could keep them safe.
Then, in the early hours of one dark morning at home, her belief was upended. In the months that followed, she turned to poignant memories, priceless stories, and a medley of coping mechanisms (with comically mixed success) to regain her equilibrium and find meaning in everyday wonders.
Hailed by The Washington Post as “Nora Ephron, Erma Bombeck, Jean Kerr, and Laurie Colwin all rolled into one,” Philpott tackles the big questions of life, death, and existential fear—not to mention the lessons of an inscrutable backyard turtle—with hope, humor, and joy.
Mary Laura Philpott, nationally bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink and Bomb Shelter, writes essays and memoirs that examine the overlap of the absurd and the profound in everyday life. Her writing has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, among many other publications. A former bookseller, she also hosted an interview program on Nashville Public Television for several years. Mary Laura lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her family.
Mary Laura Philpott, nationally bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink and Bomb Shelter, writes essays and memoirs that examine the overlap of the absurd and the profound in everyday life. Her writing has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, among many other publications. A former bookseller, she also hosted an interview program on Nashville Public Television for several years. Mary Laura lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her family.
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Reviews
"In this essay collection, author and narrator Mary Laura Philpott brings to life the worries, absurdities, and challenges that arise from loving people through life’s transitions. Philpott’s perceptive presentation invites listeners to hear her inner dialogue as she reflects on parenting a child diagnosed with epilepsy, as well as dealing with aging parents, the loss of beloved pets, and becoming middle-aged. Philpott sensitively narrates themes ranging in emotion from profound — her feelings surrounding the approaching departure of her growing children — to humorous — her descriptions of Frank the turtle, who roams her yard at will, a living symbol of patience and loyalty. Through these vignettes, Philpott draws meaningful conclusions with an engaging style." Expand reviewsWant the printed book?
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