Sam is 7 years old and living in Beverley, Massachusetts. She adores her father, though he isn't around much. Her mother, struggling to make ends meet, never fails to remind Sam that if she studies hard and acts responsibly, adulthood will be easier - more secure and comfortable. But security and comfort are of little interest to Sam. She doesn't fit in at school, where the the girls have the right shade of blue jeans and don't question the rules....

The author uses the story of her four-month-old child's serious illness to show how, much like a hang glider, a person must go through turbulence before getting the lift needed for a positive life experience.

Three friends cope with the diverse challenges of maternity as Julia struggles to conceive with her uninterested boyfriend, career woman Maeve deals with unexpected pregnancy, and happily married Samantha finds marital strife after a new baby.

Neil Banks provided the biological material needed for his former college girlfriend, Jenny Callahan to conceive a child. But at that time becoming a father was not part of the deal, and he signed away all paternity rights. Two years later he turns up unexpected and unauthorized for the baby's christening.

"How our experiences as parents can become the path to transcendence"--

A look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked Up, the 2007 comedy. After years of marriage, Pete and Debbie are approaching a milestone meltdown. As they try to balance romance, careers, parents and children in their own hilarious ways, they must also figure out how to enjoy the rest of their lives. This Is 40 is a candid and heartwarming comedy about the challenges and rewards of marriage and parenthood in the modern...