All About It All

Waiting tables and parenting: two of the least appreciated jobs. So Debra Ginsberg deserves twice the sympathy. And gets twice the fodder for her new career, writing. For more than 20 years, she dealt with shoddy tips, adulterous chefs, malicious hostesses and even Yellowstone (yes, the park). She worked those trying gigs to support her son as she dealt with his advanced mind and how he was pigeonholed as a "problem child." So, when it comes to restaurants and child rearing, we'd bet 10 bucks Ginsberg has a tale to share, compare and contrast. And we'd win.

Details

Author Debra Ginsberg discusses and signs About My Sisters on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Park, 7700 Northwest Highway. Call 214-739-1124.

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But we did think she'd be stumped after penning Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress and Raising Blaze, her documents of chasing after diners and her child. Maybe the ol' writer's block would hit after sharing such spirited memoirs. She's already detailed the butt-groping at a conservative dining club, described the intense and irksome experiences of relationships with fellow servers and related to parents who are bringing up someone "different" in a society that bear-hugs normal. What other autobiographical info is left for her to spin into a page-turner that feels more like a cherished television series and reads as easily (but far more intelligently) as a cheap romance?

She picked an obvious but often overlooked topic: siblings. Released just this week, About My Sisters may have a hackneyed title, but it delves into the eccentricities that come with sisterly and familial relationships. The odd bonds, the shared thought processes, that whole footstep-following thing. And she does have a brother, so it's not just some book version of a lifelong chick flick.

In her earlier two creations, Ginsberg has pried out her own memories for the sake of the reader. She hasn't stopped so far and, frankly, we hope she won't. Ginsberg has highlighted two big life lessons in her previous books: Don't label those you don't understand and, whatever you do, don't tip less than 20 percent. So after serving her audience with literary treats for four years, Ginsberg's Wednesday book signing gives readers the opportunity to tip (at least our hat) and offer the compliment of requesting a signature from the ultimate single mom/waitress/sister/writer.