Book Review - Sugarmilk: What One Dad Drinks When He Can’t Afford Vodka

About the Book
The rigid family roles when “mad men” ruled supreme fifty years ago seem almost ludicrous by today’s standards where mothers now direct boardrooms and fathers manage playrooms. While many families have consciously made this choice, many more were forced to do so as a result of the economy. In his book, SUGAR MILK: What One Dad Drinks When He Can’t Afford Vodka (March 30, 2010), writer Ron Mattocks shows that he understands the personal impact of this situation as well as any man in the same position—and there are many.

• In July 2009, the number of unemployed men jumped 77% year-over-year
• Of the 11.3 million preschoolers with working mothers, 25% are cared for primarily by the father 
• Reuters reported that in July 2009, 1 million families had a working wife, a child under 18 years old and an unemployed father.

As an executive in the homebuilding industry, Ron sees the coming economic downturn and, as a precaution, relocates away from his three sons to take a more secure position. En route, he meets his eventual wife and her two little girls through an odd internet experiment. But, when he unexpectedly loses his new job and can’t find work, Ron suddenly finds himself thrust into the unfamiliar role of a stay-at-home dad to his stepdaughters while living apart from his own children. 

In Sugar Milk: What One Dad Drinks When He Can’t Afford Vodka, Ron combines, honesty, insight, and wit as he recounts his journey from the comfortable corporate world to a new world full of financial stress, lonely afternoons, and subversive Care Bears as he gains a new perspective on fatherhood.

Jeremy Adam Smith, author of The Daddy Shift: How-Stay-at-Home Dads, Breadwinning Moms, and Shared Parenting Are Transforming the American Family says of Sugar Milk,

“I laughed aloud every three pages or so. But underneath the jokes, Ron Mattocks has a serious story to tell about men and fathers in transition, trying to hold their spirits and families together in an economy and society that is shifting under their feet.”

Sugar Milk has already received attention from among others, Reuters News, The Globe and Mail, The Bund-Pic Magazine. For more details visit www.SugarMilkBook.com. 

About the Author: 
Ron Mattocks is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Houston Family Magazine. His work has been read on public radio and can be found in various parenting-related publications. He lives in Houston, Texas.

My Take on the Book
I have been following Ron's progress on this book as well as following his blog posts in general for a while now. I have been impressed by his free thought as well the humor that he infuses into anything that he writes.

This book was no different than the writing that I have seen him work on in the past. The writing itself draws the reader into the story and let's the reader better understand and show empathy to many of situations that the author finds himself within.

I found this book to be hilarious and personal. The reader is drawn into the stories and can see how caring Ron is and how his new role as a stay at home dad has transformed him. I truly believe that if you are like me you will find yourself laughing on the floor at points in this book, as well as not wanting to put the book down until the very end.

More and more today I am meeting dads who are now at home with their kids, thus this book and the content within is very relevant and the humor that Ron uses is just icing on the cake!

If your book sounds like one that you would like to have as a part of your own library, you can find it on Amazon!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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