Riding in Cars with Boys by Beverly Donofrio

I just finished reading this book for my personal essay class.  It was an easy read (I read the entire book today).  I can't say it was a great book.  About the most I can say is that it held my attention.  Donofrio does quite a bit of self-reflection while she tells the story of being an irresponsible teen mother who eventually goes to college then grad school.  The framework of the story is her taking her son to college for his freshman year.  The book reflects the time period, the way things were in the sixties and seventies, with lots of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and a motorcycle gang.  I was surprised at how the final scene moved me.  You see, I have a daughter who is a freshman in college.  I had no idea how difficult it would be for me to take Kaytee to her dorm and leave her there.  I could identify with Donofrio when she felt like a bad mother as her son pulled his unfolded, wrinkled clothes from his suitcase because he had packed by himself.  Also, it was just the two of them.   Across the hall, a family was helping their son unpack and hook up his stereo and computer.  Donofrio's boy only had a clock radio and portable typewriter.  When I dropped off my daughter, she had packed her clothes by herself and many were wrinkled, but she did have a new laptop.  I, too, am a single parent and felt guilty when I mentioned that Kaytee's roommate seemed to have a lot of interference from both parents and her sister.  They were doing all of the unpacking for her and then were going to get her books at the bookstore for her, and an extension cord so her father could hook up her television.  Kaytee told me that most parents do more for their kids when they take them to college.  Oh well.