“Bad Mother”

Ayelet Waldman is one of my heroines. Not only has she written some of my favorite books (“Love and Other Impossible Pursuits,” “Daughter’s Keeper”) but she’s married to the adorable and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” she’s got a law degree from, uh, Harvard, and she’s the mother of four.

Yet, what she seems to be best known for is an essay published in the New York Times in which she talked about loving her husband more than her children – an essay that set off a torrent of attacks from bloggers, other writers and even Oprah’s audience members, who were quick to label Ayelet a “bad mother.”

We’re hoping Ayelet will now have the last word with the release of her aptly-titled new book, ““Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace.” These autobiographical essays cover a lot of ground – from bottle feeding to abortion – and are likely to set off another round of controversy. We’ve proudly joined Ayelet’s “Bad Mother” Facebook group, and are thinking we fit the bill because we can’t write as eloquently about our parenting experiences!

Bad mother? Nah, just a real one.