For every parent who ever wondered if they were smart enough, resourceful enough, and just plain good enough to tackle one of the most important jobs in the world.

No one ever is, of course, but perhaps the secret to somehow pulling it off lies in telling ourselves again the true stories of our own childhood, as filtered through our less innocent but inevitably wiser eyes. That’s exactly what Carl Lennertz does here, recollecting early experiences to which we can all relate: friendship and cliques, first job and first love, and having lots of time to do nothing at all. Ultimately, these reflections—some that will make you laugh out loud and some that will surely make you cringe—are about what we have in common with our children and what we know they have yet to learn . . . hopefully the easy way, which is to say lovingly, from us.

Cursed by a Happy Childhood is a warm, funny, big-hearted reminder that the little moments are the big moments, that we should share our stories and take heart in the way they make us feel a little closer to one another, a little stronger, and a little happier to face each day.