Reading and Signing with Mary Laura Philpott

Hub City is excited to welcome Mary Laura Philpott to the Bookshop for a reading and signing of her new memoir-in-essays Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives. The book, which Untamed author Glennon Doyle calls "an unforgettable memoir about holding it together when it's time to let go," humorously and humanely charts Philpott's own experiences navigating the ups and downs of life. Perfect for anyone who has ever felt anxious, optimistic, or both—in other words, all of us—this book is a fun and inspiring read. Don't miss the opportunity to meet its talented author!

Refreshments and mingling will start at 5:30pm, with reading and signing to begin at 6:00pm. This event is free and open to all, but we expect it to fill up quickly, so make sure to save your seat and your copy of the book via the link. See you at the Bookshop! 

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About the Book

New York Times Editors’ Choice, Most Anticipated by Read With Jenna, BookPage, LitHub, The Millions

From the bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink comes a poignant and powerful new memoir that tackles the big questions of life, death, and existential fear with humor and hope.

A lifelong worrier, Philpott always kept an eye out for danger, a habit that only intensified when she became a parent. But she looked on the bright side, too, believing that as long as she cared enough, she could keep her loved ones safe.

Then, in the dark of one quiet, pre-dawn morning, she woke abruptly to a terrible sound—and found her teenage son unconscious on the floor. In the aftermath of a crisis that darkened her signature sunny spirit, she wondered: If this happened, what else could happen? And how do any of us keep going when we can’t know for sure what’s coming next?

Leave it to the writer whose critically acclaimed debut had us “laughing and crying on the same page” (NPR) to illuminate what it means to move through life with a soul made of equal parts anxiety and optimism (and while she’s at it, to ponder the mysteries of backyard turtles and the challenges of spatchcocking a turkey).

Hailed by The Washington Post as “Nora Ephron, Erma Bombeck, Jean Kerr, and Laurie Colwin all rolled into one,” Philpott returns in her distinctive voice to explore our protective instincts, the ways we continue to grow up long after we’re grown, and the limits—both tragic and hilarious—of the human body and mind.

About the Author

Mary Laura Philpott, nationally bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink and Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives, writes about the overlap of the absurd and the profound in everyday life. Her writing has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, among many other publications. A former bookseller, she also hosted an interview program on Nashville Public Television for several years. Mary Laura lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her family.