What do you think?
I Wanted to Be Wonderful
This book begins where most love stories leave at the beginning of real life.
I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL follows the lives of two women in their first years of marriage and motherhood. One is a fictional character trying to live the happily-ever-after many imagine for themselves, and the second woman is inspired by the author herself, relating the most intimate moments of her life.
Both couples start their marriages full of idyllic happiness, but as the stressors of everyday life seep into their daily lives, that spark of young love begins to dim. It’s a story of metamorphosis, from independent working woman to mother, helpless in the face of the discovery that her daughter may need more from her than she ever thought possible.
In trenchant, thoughtful prose, Lihi Lapid tells a braided story of women struggling to live up to modern a story about shattered dreams, and about finding the strength to gather up the pieces and to learn to smile again.
I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL follows the lives of two women in their first years of marriage and motherhood. One is a fictional character trying to live the happily-ever-after many imagine for themselves, and the second woman is inspired by the author herself, relating the most intimate moments of her life.
Both couples start their marriages full of idyllic happiness, but as the stressors of everyday life seep into their daily lives, that spark of young love begins to dim. It’s a story of metamorphosis, from independent working woman to mother, helpless in the face of the discovery that her daughter may need more from her than she ever thought possible.
In trenchant, thoughtful prose, Lihi Lapid tells a braided story of women struggling to live up to modern a story about shattered dreams, and about finding the strength to gather up the pieces and to learn to smile again.
224 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
October 2, 2025
When I read the description of this book, I felt I needed to read it because I am a wife and a mother. I don’t usually know what book I’m going to read because I can be really picky/moody and it really has to stand out to me. I decided to read the first page of this book just to see how it sounded and I couldn’t put it down.
I’ve never felt so seen by a book. I highlighted so much that I almost should’ve highlighted just the whole book. That’s how good this book was and how much the words on these pages spoke to me.
The way What to Expect When You’re Expecting is almost required reading for every pregnant woman, I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL should be required reading for every wife and mother. It is food for thought and a soothing balm for the soul. It is definitely going into my top book of the pile.
I’ve never felt so seen by a book. I highlighted so much that I almost should’ve highlighted just the whole book. That’s how good this book was and how much the words on these pages spoke to me.
The way What to Expect When You’re Expecting is almost required reading for every pregnant woman, I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL should be required reading for every wife and mother. It is food for thought and a soothing balm for the soul. It is definitely going into my top book of the pile.
October 23, 2025
Oh my heart! I adored this short (224 pages) novel with all my heart, both as a wife and as a mother.
I Wanted to Be Wonderful follows the lives of two women in their first years of marriage and motherhood. One is a fictional character, a princess, trying to live the happily-ever-after many imagine for themselves, and the second woman is inspired by the author herself, relating the most intimate moments of her life.
In beautifully rendered prose, Lapid reveals the transformation from newlywed to new parent and beyond. It is touching in so many unexpected ways and made me recall many similar feelings as I was struggling to balance babies and young children, work, housekeeping, and being a spouse. There were many times I felt like everyone but me had it figured out. In reality, not many women do. This was such a rich and refreshing examination of how hard that struggle to be wonderful can be and the toll it takes.
I loved the dual perspectives and narrative structure of this book. Here, Lapid did away with standard chapters and forced breaks, simply allowing each woman time to examine their lives and their feelings in alternate timelines. It can be easy to compare one's own life to someone else's, but our vision of perfection and comparisons to others often gets in the way of real happiness.
And this one good moment plus another one is what happiness made of. Because happiness is something that suddenly emerges, illuminating the sky for one second, or one moment, and then it passes. It's so easy to miss them, those tiny moments of happiness.
This was such a beautiful story I'd highly recommend to other women, especially those with young children or with friends or loved ones coping with motherhood. It is both poignant and wholly relatable.
Rounding up to 4.5⭐️
Many thanks to Zibby Publishing and NetGalley for complimentary digital ARC of this book.
I Wanted to Be Wonderful follows the lives of two women in their first years of marriage and motherhood. One is a fictional character, a princess, trying to live the happily-ever-after many imagine for themselves, and the second woman is inspired by the author herself, relating the most intimate moments of her life.
In beautifully rendered prose, Lapid reveals the transformation from newlywed to new parent and beyond. It is touching in so many unexpected ways and made me recall many similar feelings as I was struggling to balance babies and young children, work, housekeeping, and being a spouse. There were many times I felt like everyone but me had it figured out. In reality, not many women do. This was such a rich and refreshing examination of how hard that struggle to be wonderful can be and the toll it takes.
I loved the dual perspectives and narrative structure of this book. Here, Lapid did away with standard chapters and forced breaks, simply allowing each woman time to examine their lives and their feelings in alternate timelines. It can be easy to compare one's own life to someone else's, but our vision of perfection and comparisons to others often gets in the way of real happiness.
And this one good moment plus another one is what happiness made of. Because happiness is something that suddenly emerges, illuminating the sky for one second, or one moment, and then it passes. It's so easy to miss them, those tiny moments of happiness.
This was such a beautiful story I'd highly recommend to other women, especially those with young children or with friends or loved ones coping with motherhood. It is both poignant and wholly relatable.
Rounding up to 4.5⭐️
Many thanks to Zibby Publishing and NetGalley for complimentary digital ARC of this book.
December 31, 2025
4.5 stars
April 30, 2026
First written in 2013 and published in Israel, this book is now translated in English and available here. Its title, "I Wanted to be Wonderful," called to me in the library. I could so relate to it.
It centers around a young woman photojournalist who marries at twenty one and has two children soon after - a son and a daughter. The daughter develops autism and is unable to speak.
The story is a look at the young woman's desires of being a wonderful wife to the man she loves and a wonderful mother to her two children. It incorporates all of society's expectations of her and the prevailing opinions/social science advice for parenting small children. The whole stay at home mother versus working mother debacle is richly explored. I remember all of it from when my son was small, don't you? (ie., how earnestly I followed bedtime rituals, hung on every word of the leading child development experts, sweated over toilet training, agonized over my kid's separation anxiety, etc.)
There are alternating chapters with the woman narrating in the first person and then, chapters about her alter ego, "the Princess". The princess is married to her prince and lives in a castle. Their children are perfectly behaved, unlike the real mom's kids.
I enjoyed the first third of the book, especially liking the humorous reality of what raising small children is really like. Remember temper tantrums, anyone? At that point, the photojournalist mom did still have a sense of humor. However, as the story continued, the mom character became more and more obsessed about being perfect. Her joy and spirit left her. She set expectations for herself that were impossible. All this, while trying to cope with having a special needs child.
While the story does end on a hopeful note, I found it to be overwhelmingly sad.
Here is an interview with the author. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69uu9...
It centers around a young woman photojournalist who marries at twenty one and has two children soon after - a son and a daughter. The daughter develops autism and is unable to speak.
The story is a look at the young woman's desires of being a wonderful wife to the man she loves and a wonderful mother to her two children. It incorporates all of society's expectations of her and the prevailing opinions/social science advice for parenting small children. The whole stay at home mother versus working mother debacle is richly explored. I remember all of it from when my son was small, don't you? (ie., how earnestly I followed bedtime rituals, hung on every word of the leading child development experts, sweated over toilet training, agonized over my kid's separation anxiety, etc.)
There are alternating chapters with the woman narrating in the first person and then, chapters about her alter ego, "the Princess". The princess is married to her prince and lives in a castle. Their children are perfectly behaved, unlike the real mom's kids.
I enjoyed the first third of the book, especially liking the humorous reality of what raising small children is really like. Remember temper tantrums, anyone? At that point, the photojournalist mom did still have a sense of humor. However, as the story continued, the mom character became more and more obsessed about being perfect. Her joy and spirit left her. She set expectations for herself that were impossible. All this, while trying to cope with having a special needs child.
While the story does end on a hopeful note, I found it to be overwhelmingly sad.
Here is an interview with the author. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69uu9...
Did Not Finish
January 29, 2026DNF - page 111 (50%)
(January 29, 2026)
I tried really hard, but I just do not connect with stories where the primary focus is motherhood.
(January 29, 2026)
I tried really hard, but I just do not connect with stories where the primary focus is motherhood.
November 8, 2025
This is a gorgeous and devastating narrative about motherhood and the quest for perfection - that we put on ourselves, that society puts on us, that we perceive others expect of us - and what that quest does to us as women, mothers and partners.
June 2, 2026
I have a six month old and this has been on my TBR for a bit. It was kismet that I waited until now. I’ve never felt so seen. This novel is so unafraid to say the things we are all afraid to say, afraid to feel. The challenges of motherhood, not just when mothering but when navigating the world as a wife, as a friend, as a daughter. An absolute must read.
August 13, 2025
This book should be required reading for all men about to embark on fatherhood, and for all women deep in the trenches of motherhood to feel like they’re not alone.
I Wanted to Be Wonderful braids together a story of two women in the first years of marriage and motherhood. One is a fictional character trying to live the standard happily-ever-after we see in portrayed in society; the second woman is inspired by the author herself, relating intimate moments from her own life.
Both start idyllic, filled with happy marriages and the spark of young love. Over time, we see both go from independent working women to mothers and the sacrifices each make to live up to the idealized image of motherhood.
I found this book to be so on point with how I have felt – and still feel many times – about the standards we set for ourselves to be wonderful mothers. At times, I felt that I was reading my own story in beautiful, thoughtful prose, and it made me feel both seen and saddened that we feel such modern pressures to be good mothers. This book will resonate with me, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to Lihi Lapid, Zibby Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book for an honest review.
I Wanted to Be Wonderful braids together a story of two women in the first years of marriage and motherhood. One is a fictional character trying to live the standard happily-ever-after we see in portrayed in society; the second woman is inspired by the author herself, relating intimate moments from her own life.
Both start idyllic, filled with happy marriages and the spark of young love. Over time, we see both go from independent working women to mothers and the sacrifices each make to live up to the idealized image of motherhood.
I found this book to be so on point with how I have felt – and still feel many times – about the standards we set for ourselves to be wonderful mothers. At times, I felt that I was reading my own story in beautiful, thoughtful prose, and it made me feel both seen and saddened that we feel such modern pressures to be good mothers. This book will resonate with me, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to Lihi Lapid, Zibby Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book for an honest review.
March 1, 2026
This book is a dual narrative book, one first person, one third, about marriage, motherhood, and basically being a modern woman. Both narratives felt kind of detached, in part because no names are used--one narrative refers to "I" and "my man" and the other refers to "the Prince" and the "Princess." Both narratives go from initial happiness to disillusionment and disappointment. While there were some descriptions that felt very accurate and where I felt seen as a wife and working mother; the narratives on a whole were largely depressing, whereas I don't feel that way about my own roles.
June 19, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. What a beautiful book. The way it’s written and narrated is so unique and poetic. It’s a creative way to showcase the stories of 2 women out of so many that struggle and endure as they navigate life as women, mothers, and wives. This book felt magic and emotional to read. This is a timeless tale and again so so relatable for every woman.
March 17, 2026
This is a short read with a powerful punch. Motherhood and womanhood are examined through two women: one is written as a princess after the “happily ever after” ending, and the other is a very realistic portrayal of the struggles of being a wife and mother and balancing your own and societal expectations, judgments, ideals, ambitions, and being a whole person while giving so much of yourself away. This was so relatable and honest. Women fought to have it all, but we are expected to do it ALL: raise kids, keep house, stay sexy, be nurturing, support our partner, have a career, have ambition, smash glass ceilings, and somehow still have time for ourselves … if we can remember who that even is. Lihi Lapid wrote the main character based on her own experiences and the princess at the “perfect” woman we observe from the outside and strive to be. Reality creeps into the narrative and breaks down those barriers of observation vs real life. So much in this story resonated. I applaud Lapid for challenging what we understand to be a woman’s path and goal in life. I very much enjoyed the ending and the realizations the main character had about her own experiences and the ones she observes from the outside. It was a very validating read.
October 20, 2025
A tender and introspective portrayal of what it means to be a woman caught between love, motherhood, and selfhood.
Thanks Zibby Publishing for the ARC via NetGalley.
#IWantedToBeWonderful is a uniquely written short novel by Lihi Lapid and is partly inspired by the author’s own life experience. We follow a young woman on the brink of becoming a wife and another “princess” finding her “prince” - imagining a happily ever after kind of life. As newly-weds, they revel in the haze of romance before being drawn into the demanding rhythm of parenthood and everyday life.
Seeking joy amidst chaos, losing themselves slowly, will these women learn to smile again?
This is a novel without named characters. Though I initially struggled with that, I gradually warmed up to both women’s stories. As someone who married early and is now a mother myself, this book spoke to me in ways I never expected.
There’s nothing earth-shattering about this novel — yet Lapid’s lyrical writing captures the quiet truths of early motherhood: the postpartum blues, exhaustion, identity crises, the loss of balance, fading careers, and the relentless pursuit of perfection despite it all.
The narrative shifts between the two women, whose lives are very different, yet bound by the same yearning — to be the most wonderful mother to their children, even at great cost to themselves, while they navigate the world’s unattainable expectations.
The author emphasises upon the unrealistic benchmarks modern women are subjected to, the harsh judgements and the gravity of what is at stake when juggling the mundane banalities of the daily grind. The novel also gently explores raising children with special needs, portraying the heartbreak and resilience that come with it.
Lapid’s prose brims with poignancy, packing a universe of emotions into just 200 pages. By the end, I was stunned by how deeply it resonated — and how much of it felt like my own story.
Thanks Zibby Publishing for the ARC via NetGalley.
#IWantedToBeWonderful is a uniquely written short novel by Lihi Lapid and is partly inspired by the author’s own life experience. We follow a young woman on the brink of becoming a wife and another “princess” finding her “prince” - imagining a happily ever after kind of life. As newly-weds, they revel in the haze of romance before being drawn into the demanding rhythm of parenthood and everyday life.
Seeking joy amidst chaos, losing themselves slowly, will these women learn to smile again?
This is a novel without named characters. Though I initially struggled with that, I gradually warmed up to both women’s stories. As someone who married early and is now a mother myself, this book spoke to me in ways I never expected.
There’s nothing earth-shattering about this novel — yet Lapid’s lyrical writing captures the quiet truths of early motherhood: the postpartum blues, exhaustion, identity crises, the loss of balance, fading careers, and the relentless pursuit of perfection despite it all.
The narrative shifts between the two women, whose lives are very different, yet bound by the same yearning — to be the most wonderful mother to their children, even at great cost to themselves, while they navigate the world’s unattainable expectations.
The author emphasises upon the unrealistic benchmarks modern women are subjected to, the harsh judgements and the gravity of what is at stake when juggling the mundane banalities of the daily grind. The novel also gently explores raising children with special needs, portraying the heartbreak and resilience that come with it.
Lapid’s prose brims with poignancy, packing a universe of emotions into just 200 pages. By the end, I was stunned by how deeply it resonated — and how much of it felt like my own story.
October 26, 2025
I Wanted to Be Wonderful (thank you #gifted @zibbypublishing ) is part memoir(ish), part novel about what it means to be a wife and mother amidst all of society's expectations. And sometimes more importantly, your own.
With keen insight, Lapid intertwines two different stories. One inspired by her own life, a young wife struggling to find her happiness among the sleepless nights and monotony of young children. The other is about the prince and princess, who had a fairytale wedding and now expect the fairytale life.
Most of it made me feel so seen. The love for a child, but also the exhaustion and confusion. The sacrifices expected of mothers.
I bookmarked so many quotes: "I didn't want to be good enough at anything...That wasn't why I had left the professional path...I had a baby because I wanted to be wonderful. To fly high on the wings of the purest and truest love of them all."
There was a part where I felt judged as a stay at home mom. One who's not currently trying to find a job other than raising my children. But it ends acknowledging how detrimental it is to compare your own life to anyone else's. How our vision of perfection gets in the way of our happiness and the support we can offer each other. Which is a message we all need to hear sometimes.
With keen insight, Lapid intertwines two different stories. One inspired by her own life, a young wife struggling to find her happiness among the sleepless nights and monotony of young children. The other is about the prince and princess, who had a fairytale wedding and now expect the fairytale life.
Most of it made me feel so seen. The love for a child, but also the exhaustion and confusion. The sacrifices expected of mothers.
I bookmarked so many quotes: "I didn't want to be good enough at anything...That wasn't why I had left the professional path...I had a baby because I wanted to be wonderful. To fly high on the wings of the purest and truest love of them all."
There was a part where I felt judged as a stay at home mom. One who's not currently trying to find a job other than raising my children. But it ends acknowledging how detrimental it is to compare your own life to anyone else's. How our vision of perfection gets in the way of our happiness and the support we can offer each other. Which is a message we all need to hear sometimes.
November 4, 2025
A highly relatable story about the myth of the happily ever after story of modern motherhood wherein the 'princess' is the one who ends up trading in her career for staying home and looking after the children and no one actually ends up happy.
Creatively told, this fictional anti-fairy tale reads like a memoir and will be extremely relatable for all the wives and mothers raging against the inequity of the work-life balance in so many homes. The story also has an added layer with the challenges of having a mostly nonverbal autistic child and the extra responsibilities that come with that.
Good on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like Libby Ward's Honest Motherhood. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and finished physical copy in exchange for my honest review.
Creatively told, this fictional anti-fairy tale reads like a memoir and will be extremely relatable for all the wives and mothers raging against the inequity of the work-life balance in so many homes. The story also has an added layer with the challenges of having a mostly nonverbal autistic child and the extra responsibilities that come with that.
Good on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like Libby Ward's Honest Motherhood. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and finished physical copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 4, 2025
Thank you @zibbypublishing for my #gifted copy of I Wanted to Be Wonderful! #IWantedToBeWonderful #ZibbyPublishing #ZibbyBooks #ZibbyBooksAmbassador #LihiLapid
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐈 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐋𝐢𝐡𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 - 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰
What a wonderful (no pun intended) that follows the lives of two women in their first years of marriage and motherhood. One is fictional and trying to live a happily ever after life that so many of us imagine having (think prince/princess). The other woman was inspired by the author, looking to find happiness as the day to day stress begins to impact married life. It’s a story about self-discovery and going from being an independent woman to then being a mother who is relied upon by so many.
It felt like part novel part memoir and I loved the way it read. I really connected with this book. I found the two perspectives to really make me reflect on my own previous and current thoughts on motherhood. It’s the type of book that will really make you think. While not a long read, it’s one that will stick with you long after you finish the last page!
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐈 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐋𝐢𝐡𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 - 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰
What a wonderful (no pun intended) that follows the lives of two women in their first years of marriage and motherhood. One is fictional and trying to live a happily ever after life that so many of us imagine having (think prince/princess). The other woman was inspired by the author, looking to find happiness as the day to day stress begins to impact married life. It’s a story about self-discovery and going from being an independent woman to then being a mother who is relied upon by so many.
It felt like part novel part memoir and I loved the way it read. I really connected with this book. I found the two perspectives to really make me reflect on my own previous and current thoughts on motherhood. It’s the type of book that will really make you think. While not a long read, it’s one that will stick with you long after you finish the last page!
October 28, 2025
I Wanted to Be Wonderful by Lihi Lapid. Thanks to @zibbybooks for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The lives of two women starting marriage and motherhood are followed.
This is the absolutely perfect title for this book; and really for motherhood in general. This book is short but sit with it and take your time. The writing is beautiful and poetic, but it tells two genuine and meaningful stories of regular life as well.
“I was the mother of a newborn baby girl and a thirteen-month boy. And I thought that if only I had tried hard enough, I’d succeed. Because I’d been told my entire life, that it depended only on me.”
I Wanted to Be Wonderful comes out 11/4.
The lives of two women starting marriage and motherhood are followed.
This is the absolutely perfect title for this book; and really for motherhood in general. This book is short but sit with it and take your time. The writing is beautiful and poetic, but it tells two genuine and meaningful stories of regular life as well.
“I was the mother of a newborn baby girl and a thirteen-month boy. And I thought that if only I had tried hard enough, I’d succeed. Because I’d been told my entire life, that it depended only on me.”
I Wanted to Be Wonderful comes out 11/4.
December 15, 2025
Thank you, Zibby Publishing for the #gifted finished copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
CW: miscarriage, birth, depression, child with special needs
Quick intro:
Told in alternating POVs, this book is a raw and real peek into the complexities, difficulties, and deep joys of the first few years of marriage and motherhood.
Quick thoughts:
Listen, motherhood is hard and it is a trip. I felt so seen in this book. There are so many complicated feelings that accompany becoming a mother, forfeiting a career, and being the one person your baby physically relies on to live. And this book gave voice to my feelings. At times it was difficult to read, because it felt so close to home and reflective of my reality, yet other times it was a delight. The pressures. The expectations - real and felt. The frustrations. The struggles. The judgment. The happiness. It is all a wild wild trip. And Lihi captured it all beautifully and honestly and I felt so incredibly seen and held. At only 214 pages, this is a quick read with an emotional punch - one which I would recommend.
CW: miscarriage, birth, depression, child with special needs
Quick intro:
Told in alternating POVs, this book is a raw and real peek into the complexities, difficulties, and deep joys of the first few years of marriage and motherhood.
Quick thoughts:
Listen, motherhood is hard and it is a trip. I felt so seen in this book. There are so many complicated feelings that accompany becoming a mother, forfeiting a career, and being the one person your baby physically relies on to live. And this book gave voice to my feelings. At times it was difficult to read, because it felt so close to home and reflective of my reality, yet other times it was a delight. The pressures. The expectations - real and felt. The frustrations. The struggles. The judgment. The happiness. It is all a wild wild trip. And Lihi captured it all beautifully and honestly and I felt so incredibly seen and held. At only 214 pages, this is a quick read with an emotional punch - one which I would recommend.
May 18, 2026
I loved, loved, loved this book. Lihi Lapid brilliantly weaves the stories of two young mothers together that is incredibly thought-provoking and relatable. I read this book in 2 sittings, in one day. It left me wanting more! I highly recommend you check it out.
October 30, 2025
THANK YOU @ Zibby for letting me sneak a peak at this early!!
This book was a lot different than i expected. It was full of motherhood experience and the joys of having children but also the difficulties of being a whole human and wife. It was a difficult read because her experience was difficult. And yet there is joy and love and life!
Will reread one day when I am also a mother!
This book was a lot different than i expected. It was full of motherhood experience and the joys of having children but also the difficulties of being a whole human and wife. It was a difficult read because her experience was difficult. And yet there is joy and love and life!
Will reread one day when I am also a mother!
March 1, 2026
A quick read yet sincerely realistic view of modern motherhood seen through the lens of parallel lives - one very transparent, the other a fairy tale that goes awry.
Written by an Israeli author, there is not much that really gives the setting away unless you are really paying attention. This could be any modern woman anywhere who loses herself in the trap that is motherhood perfection.
In some ways it was all too real and I felt like I was reading a sociological study - hence it has an understated value that is lurking under the surface. Lots to discuss and this would make for a solid (albeit kind of depressing) book club selection.
3.75/5 listened on audio.
Written by an Israeli author, there is not much that really gives the setting away unless you are really paying attention. This could be any modern woman anywhere who loses herself in the trap that is motherhood perfection.
In some ways it was all too real and I felt like I was reading a sociological study - hence it has an understated value that is lurking under the surface. Lots to discuss and this would make for a solid (albeit kind of depressing) book club selection.
3.75/5 listened on audio.
November 20, 2025
Every mother and wife needs to read this book. Loved it, loved her writing and honesty!!! 5 star read for sure!!
November 14, 2025
Bravo! Highly recommend.
December 6, 2025
This book is nothing I expected and everything I didn't know I needed.
I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL is an honest and heartfelt examination of marriage and motherhood through the eyes of two woman; one real and one fictional. In the third decade of marriage and with two grown children, the early days of motherhood still resonate with me. The pressure to pretend you have it all figured out. The terrifying recognition that you don't. The second guessing every single choice you make, every option you choose, every thought that circulates through your sleep deprived brain. The fear that you are doing everything wrong and losing yourself in the process. The questions you are afraid to ask to avoid judgement because somehow you are supposed to know this stuff simply because you are a woman. The help you need but will not ask for because this motherhood gig is your job. The frustrations with your partner who is also trying his/her best to function within the societal and cultural expectations of their new role. The fear of upsetting the fragile equilibrium that gets you through the day.
All of that is juxtaposed with the complete and utter devotion to the life now entirely relying on you for everything. You are exhausted and running on fumes fueled by love. You are a mother. You are a wife. You are never alone, yet you are lonely.
Lihi Lapid captures it all. She speaks with the voice of generations of women. She hears us. I have never felt so seen.
This is a short, yet powerful book. Poignant and real. Raw and honest. It spoke to me. Lapid is on my radar as a must read author now and I will be looking for whatever she publishes next.
Thank you to Zibby Publishing for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
I WANTED TO BE WONDERFUL is an honest and heartfelt examination of marriage and motherhood through the eyes of two woman; one real and one fictional. In the third decade of marriage and with two grown children, the early days of motherhood still resonate with me. The pressure to pretend you have it all figured out. The terrifying recognition that you don't. The second guessing every single choice you make, every option you choose, every thought that circulates through your sleep deprived brain. The fear that you are doing everything wrong and losing yourself in the process. The questions you are afraid to ask to avoid judgement because somehow you are supposed to know this stuff simply because you are a woman. The help you need but will not ask for because this motherhood gig is your job. The frustrations with your partner who is also trying his/her best to function within the societal and cultural expectations of their new role. The fear of upsetting the fragile equilibrium that gets you through the day.
All of that is juxtaposed with the complete and utter devotion to the life now entirely relying on you for everything. You are exhausted and running on fumes fueled by love. You are a mother. You are a wife. You are never alone, yet you are lonely.
Lihi Lapid captures it all. She speaks with the voice of generations of women. She hears us. I have never felt so seen.
This is a short, yet powerful book. Poignant and real. Raw and honest. It spoke to me. Lapid is on my radar as a must read author now and I will be looking for whatever she publishes next.
Thank you to Zibby Publishing for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
December 15, 2025
This is a heavy read but also touching. When you consider the author based one of the characters on herself and her own life experiences it takes the reading experience to a whole other level. I was saddened by the women in the book as their situations are all too common when it comes to lack of communication and unrealistic expectations of marriage and motherhood. I enjoyed the unique storytelling and found the ending to be a good one. It seems there's a motherhood theme in publishing right now. Hopefully it will open doors for women to talk more about their experiences, disappointments, failures, and start being more supportive of each other rather than judgemental.
July 1, 2025
I Wanted to be Wonderful took me back to the hazy newborn days. The sleepless nights, the demands I put on myself and the pressure I felt to be the perfect mother/human in general while I became an empty shell, pouring from a cup that was bone dry.
Lihi Lapid is brutally honest in her novel, which is told from two different perspectives. One ‘fairytale’ point of view of motherhood, and another based on her own personal experiences. I think this would be a great book for new mums who feel the heavy weight of expectation.
Lihi Lapid is brutally honest in her novel, which is told from two different perspectives. One ‘fairytale’ point of view of motherhood, and another based on her own personal experiences. I think this would be a great book for new mums who feel the heavy weight of expectation.
October 29, 2025
This novels tells the story of two women at the beginning of their married life, one fictional and seemingly perfect and one trying to emulate her perfection. Happily ever after and reality cannot co-exist and both marriages experience major issues.
While I liked the writing and the concept, the “fictional” couple was confusing to me and I would have preferred a little more of a straightforward story. It was quick and still enjoyable, but I felt it could have been more.
3.75 stars
While I liked the writing and the concept, the “fictional” couple was confusing to me and I would have preferred a little more of a straightforward story. It was quick and still enjoyable, but I felt it could have been more.
3.75 stars
March 27, 2026
This book was so depressing. I got where it was going but it was very painful getting there. It is well written - you just want to keep shouting at the women - that’s not important! You are enough!
It was a great reminder to be thankful for the good things and to look for the good things in life - because they are there, even when life seeks tough. Also - we women can be so hard on ourselves and each other; it’s a good reminder to support and allow people to make their own choices.
It was a great reminder to be thankful for the good things and to look for the good things in life - because they are there, even when life seeks tough. Also - we women can be so hard on ourselves and each other; it’s a good reminder to support and allow people to make their own choices.
October 28, 2025
I Wanted to Be Wonderful by Lihi Lapid
Thank you to Zibby Publishing for my gifted copy of this heartbreakingly honest and sneakily funny novel.
Let’s just get this out of the way: this is not a light read about perfect marriages and cute babies who sleep eight hours a night while their flawless mothers glow and sip organic tea. This book is about what happens when all the Pinterest boards crash into real life. I Wanted to Be Wonderful is not just a title, it’s a haunting, self-inflicted mantra—like the internal voice of every woman who thought she could have it all, then realized “all” comes with laundry, loneliness, and a husband who somehow never hears the baby crying at 2 a.m.
Lihi Lapid splits the narrative between two women—one fictional and one modeled after herself—and somehow both feel more real than half the people I know. One lives in a fairytale-turned-grim-reality, the other is in the trenches of special needs parenting and the slow disintegration of her former self. Spoiler alert: this book isn’t here to make you feel better. It’s here to make you feel seen. And wow, does it succeed.
The prose is lyrical without being self-indulgent, intimate without being invasive. At times it reads like a confession. At others, like a battle report. And occasionally, it’s so deadpan you’ll laugh out loud and then feel guilty about it, because—surprise!—that’s motherhood too.
“I was the mother of a newborn baby girl and a thirteen-month boy. And I thought that if only I had tried hard enough, I’d succeed. Because I’d been told my entire life, that it depended only on me.”
Yep. That line? Ripped straight from the secret handbook all mothers pretend doesn’t exist but silently internalize anyway.
This novel is short, but it lingers. Like spit-up on a black shirt or that feeling when you realize it’s 4:00 p.m. and you haven’t eaten or peed. You won’t breeze through this book, and you shouldn’t. You’ll want to sit with it, cry a little, nod along, maybe text a mom friend and say, “Read this. You’ll get it.”
Do I recommend it? Absolutely. Will it cheer you up? Probably not. But it will remind you that “wonderful” is a moving target, and sometimes just making it through the day is enough of a win.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)
#IWantedToBeWonderful #LihiLapid #ZibbyPublishing #WomensFiction #MotherhoodBooks #MarriageAfterKids #RealLifeReads #MomLit #BooksThatHitHard #HonestFiction #ParentingTruths #BookReview #NewBooks2025
Thank you to Zibby Publishing for my gifted copy of this heartbreakingly honest and sneakily funny novel.
Let’s just get this out of the way: this is not a light read about perfect marriages and cute babies who sleep eight hours a night while their flawless mothers glow and sip organic tea. This book is about what happens when all the Pinterest boards crash into real life. I Wanted to Be Wonderful is not just a title, it’s a haunting, self-inflicted mantra—like the internal voice of every woman who thought she could have it all, then realized “all” comes with laundry, loneliness, and a husband who somehow never hears the baby crying at 2 a.m.
Lihi Lapid splits the narrative between two women—one fictional and one modeled after herself—and somehow both feel more real than half the people I know. One lives in a fairytale-turned-grim-reality, the other is in the trenches of special needs parenting and the slow disintegration of her former self. Spoiler alert: this book isn’t here to make you feel better. It’s here to make you feel seen. And wow, does it succeed.
The prose is lyrical without being self-indulgent, intimate without being invasive. At times it reads like a confession. At others, like a battle report. And occasionally, it’s so deadpan you’ll laugh out loud and then feel guilty about it, because—surprise!—that’s motherhood too.
“I was the mother of a newborn baby girl and a thirteen-month boy. And I thought that if only I had tried hard enough, I’d succeed. Because I’d been told my entire life, that it depended only on me.”
Yep. That line? Ripped straight from the secret handbook all mothers pretend doesn’t exist but silently internalize anyway.
This novel is short, but it lingers. Like spit-up on a black shirt or that feeling when you realize it’s 4:00 p.m. and you haven’t eaten or peed. You won’t breeze through this book, and you shouldn’t. You’ll want to sit with it, cry a little, nod along, maybe text a mom friend and say, “Read this. You’ll get it.”
Do I recommend it? Absolutely. Will it cheer you up? Probably not. But it will remind you that “wonderful” is a moving target, and sometimes just making it through the day is enough of a win.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)
#IWantedToBeWonderful #LihiLapid #ZibbyPublishing #WomensFiction #MotherhoodBooks #MarriageAfterKids #RealLifeReads #MomLit #BooksThatHitHard #HonestFiction #ParentingTruths #BookReview #NewBooks2025
March 15, 2026
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and Zibby Publishing for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review! I wanted to Be Wonderful by Lihi Lapid is a deeply reflective novel that explores motherhood, marriage, identity, and the societal pressures women often place on themselves in trying to live up to being an ideal woman living an ideal life.
The book weaves together two narratives, each centered on a woman navigating the emotional and practical realities of family life. I found the original narrative structure and choice to not use any actual names intriguing. And I thought it was clever to have the two stories visually distinguished with different fonts. One narrative is told in a more traditional first-person voice, where the narrator simply refers to herself as "I" and her partner as "my man". The other is framed like a fairy tale, where the woman is called "princess" and her husband "prince". Interestingly, in both narratives, the children are referred to as "heirs" and "heiresses".
I think that the fairy-tale framing is the novel's most compelling device. From the outside looking in, the "princess" appears to have everything: a loving husband, beautiful children, a clean home, impressive career accomplishments, a perfect life. But beneath the surface, she is quietly struggling with the impossible pressure to be the perfect mother, wife, and person. The internal struggle of always putting everyone else first to your own detriment, never asking for help, keeping any sign of struggle hidden, always striving to do everything "right", but always feeling like you're failing. The fairy-tale device highlights to the extreme how the pursuit of perfection can eat away at self-worth and happiness rather than protect it.
Lapid uses this structure to expose a powerful contrast between the stories we tell publicly and the thoughts we only admit privately. Much of the novel reads like a journal, revealing the kinds of doubt, guilt, jealousy, exhaustion, and resentment that never surface in everyday conversation when people are asked how things are going and they simply say, "Oh, everything is great!".
Traditional fairy tales end when the prince and the princess fall in love and ride off into the sunset to "live happily ever after". One of the ideas Lapid explores that really struck me is what "ever after" might truly look like. Both women start off their stories with the same milestones of marrying their true love, becoming pregnant, joyful and excited for the future. What's unique is we get to see the small and large changes that follow and how the realities of marriage, motherhood, and family life can be mundane, messy, complicated, and demanding.
The honesty within this book really moved me. It speaks openly about the difficulty of balancing work, parenting, partnership, and sense of self. Different themes such as gender roles, labor division, and parenting children with disabilities are also explored. One of the main threads throughout the novel reflects upon how easily comparison creeps into everything- it impacts what we do, when we do it, and how we feel about and view ourselves. I feel it's inevitable and almost inherent to measure our lives against others', but allowing the mentality of constant comparison to take over can exhaust our souls, drain our self-esteem, and erode the joy in our own lives.
At it's heart, I Wanted to Be Wonderful is a quiet yet heartbreaking meditation on expectations, identity, and womanhood. It unearths and analyzes the gap between the lives we imagine and the lives we actually live. Readers drawn to introspective, emotionally honest fiction may find this novel particularly resonant, especially those interested in literary explorations of motherhood and experimental narrative structures.
The book weaves together two narratives, each centered on a woman navigating the emotional and practical realities of family life. I found the original narrative structure and choice to not use any actual names intriguing. And I thought it was clever to have the two stories visually distinguished with different fonts. One narrative is told in a more traditional first-person voice, where the narrator simply refers to herself as "I" and her partner as "my man". The other is framed like a fairy tale, where the woman is called "princess" and her husband "prince". Interestingly, in both narratives, the children are referred to as "heirs" and "heiresses".
I think that the fairy-tale framing is the novel's most compelling device. From the outside looking in, the "princess" appears to have everything: a loving husband, beautiful children, a clean home, impressive career accomplishments, a perfect life. But beneath the surface, she is quietly struggling with the impossible pressure to be the perfect mother, wife, and person. The internal struggle of always putting everyone else first to your own detriment, never asking for help, keeping any sign of struggle hidden, always striving to do everything "right", but always feeling like you're failing. The fairy-tale device highlights to the extreme how the pursuit of perfection can eat away at self-worth and happiness rather than protect it.
Lapid uses this structure to expose a powerful contrast between the stories we tell publicly and the thoughts we only admit privately. Much of the novel reads like a journal, revealing the kinds of doubt, guilt, jealousy, exhaustion, and resentment that never surface in everyday conversation when people are asked how things are going and they simply say, "Oh, everything is great!".
Traditional fairy tales end when the prince and the princess fall in love and ride off into the sunset to "live happily ever after". One of the ideas Lapid explores that really struck me is what "ever after" might truly look like. Both women start off their stories with the same milestones of marrying their true love, becoming pregnant, joyful and excited for the future. What's unique is we get to see the small and large changes that follow and how the realities of marriage, motherhood, and family life can be mundane, messy, complicated, and demanding.
The honesty within this book really moved me. It speaks openly about the difficulty of balancing work, parenting, partnership, and sense of self. Different themes such as gender roles, labor division, and parenting children with disabilities are also explored. One of the main threads throughout the novel reflects upon how easily comparison creeps into everything- it impacts what we do, when we do it, and how we feel about and view ourselves. I feel it's inevitable and almost inherent to measure our lives against others', but allowing the mentality of constant comparison to take over can exhaust our souls, drain our self-esteem, and erode the joy in our own lives.
At it's heart, I Wanted to Be Wonderful is a quiet yet heartbreaking meditation on expectations, identity, and womanhood. It unearths and analyzes the gap between the lives we imagine and the lives we actually live. Readers drawn to introspective, emotionally honest fiction may find this novel particularly resonant, especially those interested in literary explorations of motherhood and experimental narrative structures.
November 19, 2025
Originally published in Hebrew in 2008, Eshet Chayil by Lihi Lapid was translated into English in 2013 as Woman of Valor, published by Gefen. After the success of her 2024 novel in translation, On Her Own, Zibby Media has now re-released Eshet Chayil as I Wanted to Be Wonderful. Part memoir, part fairytale/allegory and part fiction, the narrative alternates between the story of an Israeli mother (based on Lapid herself) and the fairytale of a "Princess" and "Prince" and their two "Heirs." According to the Jewish Book Council, "I Wanted to be Wonderful joins a growing body of literature exploring the messy contours of maternal discontent." There isn't much of a plot, nor is there a strong sense of time and place. It all seemed very detached to me and I had a hard time discerning between the two narratives. However, the character's manifesto at the end of the book stopped me in my tracks: "To stop deliberating so much. To know that sometimes I can make mistakes and that there's nothing wrong with that . . . to know that there will be days when I won't be sure that I'm doing the right thing, and to understand that there's always tomorrow . . . To make certain that my son is happy, and that he receives all the support he needs, and to understand that I won't always be able to help him . . . To dedicate time to my wonderful parents, yet not to overly involve them in all that I'm going through . . . To learn how to manage my time correctly . . . To drink more water. To dance at least once a month . . . To remember that I'm allowed to say no. Nothing will happen. The worst that will happen is that someone won't like me. There will always be people who won't like me. To set boundaries on the amount of advice and criticism that I'm willing to listen to. To stop thinking that I'm the only one who can do things like they should be done. To stop saying to myself that it's simpler to do things myself than to ask someone else . . . To learn how to accept help gracefully. To let anyone who wants to help me, help me. To learn how to ask for help . . . And to buy only comfortable shoes. To seize opportunities. To try things and to realize that it's okay to fail. And it's okay to fail. And to stop complaining, already."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews