Like humorist Erma Bombeck, yet for the 21st century, Allen has a conversational but dramatic performer's voice that comes through in her essays and is a joy to spend time with as she deals with some of the harsher aspects of life. The dark humor includes reflections on illness and mortality, particularly the cancer that formed the basis for the author's 2009 one-woman show "I Got Sick Then I Got Better," and being a single parent of teenagers after decades of marriage. At the other end, one finds the kind of absurdity found in The New Yorker's "Shouts & Murmurs" column, in which Allen's work sometimes appears (think Martha Stewart fleecing a Buddhist monastery). These pieces balance out into a well-rounded set of writings that should please most humor fans; the lives of middle-aged women deserve more focus, and so Allen's rich vein of pathos is a welcome addition. VERDICT Lovers of darkly humorous domestic comedy will enjoy this one. Even though not all of the essays may appeal to all, everyone should be able to find something to appreciate.-Margaret Heller, Loyola Univ. -Chicago Libs. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.