Reviews for The Meat and Potatoes of Life

“… lively and resonant memoir … Readers will relish Molinari’s self-deprecating anecdotes about aging, marriage, and anxiety. The volume includes memorable one-liners (‘I’ve got more culture in my upturned pinkie than you’d get from a case of Chobani’) as well as lessons on hard work and gratitude. … there is a palpable sense of wonder for everything from a dog’s shedding to parenthood … Memorable autobiographical essays capturing the service of motherhood with candor, humor, and grace.” — Kirkus Reviews

A wry and lighthearted journey through the seasons of family life.
—W. Bruce Cameron, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose

“I found myself rooting for Lisa and her family as they navigated constant military moves, new schools, and all the normal ups and downs of raising three busy, interesting kids. This is a wonderful look inside the kind of family we all want to invite home to dinner. And I laughed out loud at some of Lisa and Francis’s experiences as they grew into a middle-aged couple, complete with devices to stop teeth grinding and snoring. It’s no wonder that Lisa’s slice of-life stories have enjoyed success as newspaper columns and Chicken Soup for the Soul stories.”
— Amy Newmark, editor-in-chief, Chicken Soup for the Soul

Molinari writes about the illusive ‘perfect’ family with poignancy and humor. As Commander in Chief of the Homefront, she embraces the chaos of everyday life — and her own vulnerabilities — through engaging stories that resonate. Her writing is pure Erma Bombeck.
— Teri Rizvi, founder and director of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop

“If Erma Bombeck came back as a military wife and mother, she’d be Lisa Smith Molinari. In The Meat and Potatoes of Life, Molinari writes about her naval officer husband, their three children and her own foibles with love, warmth and humor. Her delightful book will put you, as they say in the armed forces, at ease.”
— Jerry Zezima, nationally syndicated humorist and author

“When women tell the truth about their lives, remarkable things happen: we laugh in celebration, we nod in recognition, we pause in reflection and we understand that we’re more alike than we’d ever imagined. Molinari has written a hilariously honest, beautifully engaging and vividly written memoir of her life as a military spouse, the mother of fabulously eccentric and demanding children, and as a woman who has lived multiple lives within her everyday existence. In The Meat and Potatoes of Life, the reader will discover insight and revelation, along with the award-winning columnist’s signature wit on every page. A must-read.”
— Gina Barreca, author of They Used to Call Me Snow White, But I Drifted

“How is it possible to blend belly-shaking laughs with poignancy? I envy Lisa Smith Molinari’s gift for stringing together laughs and lessons. The Meat and Potatoes of Life is hearty fare, and I share my highest accolade: I kept saying to my husband, ‘Oh, please let me read this chapter to you!’
— Suzette Martinez Standring, author of The Art of Opinion Writing

“Molinari sees her life as a sitcom, writing the book in seasons and episodes instead of chapters.  The book is wholesome and heartwarming and humorous. She weathers deployments, complete upheavals of life and location, childhood illnesses, devastating diagnoses, loneliness, toddlerhood, empty nests, sullen teenagers, and everything life throws at her with humor and good grace. … From first date to retirement, pregnancy to college dorms, this is a truly American story … not just of Molinari’s life but of American life—of what we want American life to be.”
— Lori B Duff, humorist, speaker, and bestselling author (Lori’s Full Review)

Elva Resa Publishing