July 29, 2013
The author’s desire to bring up daughters unafraid to try new things—despite her own unforgiving parents, who refused to accept failure—leads this suburban mother and blogger (www.upside-down-patty.blogspot.com) to explore the everyday fears that prevent people from living their lives. As children, many folks develop intense aversions to relatively benign activities like swimming, biking, or public speaking, and these fears often extend unhealthily into adulthood. Anker sets out to dismantle these childhood phobias by changing the sense of herself that she’s come to accept. En route she finds tons of encouragement—and offers it too, mentoring her children, as well as adults she meets at her local coffee shop, a writer’s retreat, and a soul-baring Toastmasters meeting. Anker shows that the key to success is finding a teacher who is willing to meet you where you are, and having a friend nearby who is both willing to believe in you and make sure you don’t chicken out. This warm memoir is not a traditional self-help book, yet the joy that Anker and her peers feel when they allow themselves to be beginners—even after the age of 40—will be motivation enough for can’t-do readers to take steps toward making their lives a little bigger and better. Agent: Brettne Bloom; Kneerim, Williams & Bloom.