With an honest, clear voice Mary Pols uses “Accidentally on Purpose” to tell the true story of how a one-night stand gave her a purpose in life at the age of 39 – her son Dolan. Pols’ parenting partner became Matt – a 29-year-old unemployed man she met at a bar that definitely did not meet her soul mate standards. Pols learns to reprogram her parenting expectations and revel in the fact that whoever Matt was, Matt was in love with their son.

“Where or how your child comes to you doesn’t matter. How you feel about the resume of the father of your child should not matter at all. All that’s relevant is what’s written on his face when he looks at his son.”

Whether you want, have or hate kids, Pols entices you with intimate, simple and sweet moments with her son:

When we are cuddling at bedtime Dolan says, “I like you forever.”
“And I love you,” I say back.
“I love you too,” he says. I kiss him ferociously, on his forehead, on his cheeks, again on his forehead. He kisses me back, the same way.
“I have to go,” I tell him.
“No,” he says. “I’m keeping you.”
I soften. “One more minute,” I tell him.
“Two minutes,” he tells me.

But Pols doesn’t sugarcoat motherhood. And she doesn’t paint herself as an angelic mother – even with a name like Mary. She makes mistakes, and she owns up to them. Her imperfect life is so attractive because it works, and we can identify with it.

“When I went to see the movie Knocked Up, I laughed so hard I could barely hear some of the dialogue. It was our story in so many ways, except that Katherine Heigl was way prettier than I and Matt was way cuter than Seth Rogen. Also, we didn’t fall in love the way they did, which would have made everything so much easier. We were messier because we were real. And our story didn’t end on the day our baby was born.”

“Accidentally on Purpose” is a smooth, witty read that will fly by. You don’t have to be a mother or a chronic baby cooer to enjoy this book.