No Biking in the House Without a Helmet [Kindle Edition]

Melissa Fay Greene (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. With four children of their own, Atlanta journalist Greene (There Is No Me Without You) and her husband, a criminal defense attorney, gradually adopted five more—one from Bulgaria and four from Ethiopia—to create a roiling, largehearted family unit. In her whimsical, hilarious account, she pokes fun at her own initial cluelessness regarding the adoption process, which the couple began after Greene suffered a miscarriage in her mid-40s; they procured an "adoption doctor" to advise them on the risks of adopting institutionalized babies from Russian and Bulgarian orphanages (e.g., the baby's head measurements and appearance in videos might indicate developmental problems). After several trips to a rural Bulgarian orphanage, they brought home a four-year-old Roma boy they renamed Jesse; Greene writes frankly about her own moments of "post-adoption panic" and doubts about attachment. Subsequently, as her older children headed out to college, new ones arrived: the humanitarian HIV/AIDS crisis in Ethiopia resolved the couple to adopt healthy, five-year-old Helen, orphaned when her family was decimated by the disease; then nine-year-old Fisseha, and two brothers, Daniel and Yosef, whom Greene's older biological son Lee befriended while working at another Ethiopian orphanage. The family often felt like a "group home," as Greene depicts engagingly, yet despite periods of tension and strife, such as the discovery of living parents and sibling rivalry, Greene captures the family's triumphant shared delight in one another's differences. (May)
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Review

“Love knows no bounds—and no borders—in journalist Greene’s ebullient valentine to her family of nine children . . . ‘Who made you the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe?’ a friend quips, but Greene doesn’t apologize. Instead, she shows what it means to knit together a family that ‘steers by the light . . . of what feels right and true.’” —Caroline Leavitt, People (four stars)

“Readers . . . will find plenty of hilarity in this romping account of [Greene’s] boisterous brood . . . [she] brings her well-honed research and reporting skills to this very personal story . . . this joy—experiencing it and conveying it to readers—is her greatest success.” —Suki Casanave, The Washington Post

“No Biking in the House Without a Helmet is [Melissa Fay Greene’s] sprawling, imperfect, courageous and joyful account of the adoption process, warts and all—the heart-wrenching trips to orphanages, frustrating delays, visits with living relatives, and the way her family welcomed and made room for each child, as well as the inevitable homesickness and culture clashes and sometimes rocky emotional terrain . . . The moral of her story? Just the opposite of the title’s warning. Don’t be afraid to break the rules, to “steer by the light of what makes us laugh, what makes us feel good”—especially if it means biking in the house, with or without a helmet. With deep compassion, sparkling humor and an unshakable faith in the power of the whoopee cushion, she leads the way.” —Gina Webb, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Moving, enlightening, and surprisingly funny ... No Biking in the House Without a Helmet ... folds an adoption primer into a meditation on family.” —Sara Nelson, O, The Oprah Magazine

“Joyful and b...

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1199 KB
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (April 12, 2011)
• Sold by: Macmillan
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004OA642U
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,441 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #12 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Advice & How-to > Parenting & Families > Adoption
  • #19 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Adoption
  • #37 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Advice & How-to > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Child Care

More About the Author

Melissa Fay Greene''s new book, NO BIKING IN THE HOUSE WITHOUT A HELMET, is her first memoir and her first light-hearted and humorous book. She has always been a funny writer, but it was hard to use much humor in telling stories about domestic violence, coal mine disasters, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It turns out that the true story of the creation of Melissa's family of nine children, including four by birth, four from Ethiopia, and one from Bulgaria, is one of the funniest stories she knows. Melissa and her husband, Don Samuel, and half a dozen of these children live in Atlanta. Visit Melissa online at www.melissafaygreene.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life on the bright side, April 12, 2011

By 

Judith "jalex49" (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Biking in the House Without a Helmet (Hardcover)

As the Kirkus Review so aptly put it, this is "an upbeat chronicle of a life that has been lived on the bright side of the road, its ruts beveled by naked love." Having known and loved this family for 20 years, having been along with them for the ride, I have to admit to a certain partiality. So I leave it to others to be objective and I think their reviews give credence to my not-impartial enthusiasm for this author and her remarkable abilities as a story teller. It comes naturally to her -- conversations on walks around the neighborhood, on breezy screen porches, over makeshift dinners or gala Passover seders over the years, have been full of tears and laughter -- mostly laughter -- as Melissa has shared the stories of her parenting journey, many of which are beautifully captured in this book. My son, an only child, had the remarkable good luck to be great friends with Melissa's #3 Lee. We lived just down the street so his younger life was lived between the quiet of our household and the raucous fun at the Greene-Samuel's. Even our lone pet, Lulu the huge Golden Retriever, knew where to find the party when she was so inclined, and considered little Frannie, the Rat Terrier, to be her best friend. Somehow, the concept of overwhelm hasn't made it into Melissa's or Donny's consciousness. There was always time to work on science projects, put together Halloween costumes, write amazing books, cook dinner, visit with friends, cheer at soccer games, soothe hurts, do the laundry -- lots of laundry, care for aging parents, and pick up the phone to call me whenever Lulu wandered over to let me know not to worry. Being privy to this way of living has the potential to make a regular person feel inadequate! But the good-humored, big-hearted humanity that earnestly radiates from this family always leaves me inspired and hopeful and encouraged that there are people like this on this earth. For years I've been hoping Melissa would take her own extraordinary life and family as the subject for her writing, understanding that she would need to strike a balance between candor and delicacy. Now she's done it and she's done it respectfully, thoughtfully and brilliantly. You are in for a treat!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, Wise, Inspiring, April 12, 2011

By 

KLreader - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Biking in the House Without a Helmet (Hardcover)

This book is an absolute treasure. I couldn't put it down. It is that rare combination of laugh-out-loud humor and profound wisdom delivered in fresh, sparkling prose. I don't have adopted kids or a large family but I found it richly relevant and inspiring. Greene is an astute observor and nudges the reader into paying more attention to the small lively details of ordinary life. Her love and enthusiastic enjoyment of her family, even when things aren't going well, and her exuberant love of life is infectious. I didn't want the book to end. Tolstoy once wrote that the highest purpose of art is to help people love life. This book offers that gift page by page, along with valuable insights about how to love those closest to you.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great writing--and what a story!, March 12, 2011

By 

S. Kay Murphy "Heretic" (Mt. Baldy, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: No Biking in the House Without a Helmet (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Kudos to Greene on this book. This is the first time I've read any of her writing, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style.

And right here is where I must disclose my own bias: I have three adopted children myself. I did not adopt internationally, but believe me, I know the challenges that come with adopting kids who are... different. I appreciate Greene's candor in telling her tale, especially in regard to issues such as post-adoption depression and just plain having second thoughts. Blending a family--even when the kids are simply step-sibs--can be trying.

Greene shares her experience with love, honesty, wit, charm and compassion. This is a beautifully written book. During the week I was reading it, I looked forward to coming home from work each day, making a cup of tea, and reading of her adventures with her children. No Biking in the House is a delightful memoir that I will be recommending to friends and family members!