Instant Mom

In Instant Mom, Nia Vardalos, writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, tells her hilarious and poignant road-to-parenting story that eventually leads to her daughter and prompts her to become a major advocate for adoption. Moments after Nia Vardalos finds out she has been nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay for My Big Fat Greek Wedding, she is alone and en route to a fertility clinic, trying yet again for a chance at motherhood. Vardalos chronicles her attempts to have a baby, and how she tries everything—from drinking jugs of green mud tea, to acupuncture, to working with two surrogates. Finally, she and her husband, actor Ian Gomez, decide to try adoption and discover a free service: Foster Family Agencies. Then one day, the social workers "match" her with an almost-three-year-old girl, who she knows, instantly, is her daughter. With her signature wit and candor, Nia Vardalos reveals what really came next—the truth of how she and her husband transitioned a preschooler into their home. Vardalos opens up about the bawling-tears and belly-laughter that all make up what it means to be...a parent.Review“I expected to laugh. I didn’t expect to cry. And I certainly didn’t expect to laugh and cry on the same page. Instant Mom is for anyone whose life plan didn’t follow the path they anticipated, and shows us that unexpected obstacles can lead to beautiful rewards.” (Rachel Dratch, author of Girl Walks Into a Bar ) “Funny, smart,and full of grounded wisdom that shines much-needed light on adoption I couldn’t stop reading this hilarious and gripping rollercoaster of a story. Nia is an authentic, rocking female role model in so many ways...and being an instant mom is just one of them.” (Jewel ) An instant classic. Refreshingly candid for all parents-plus anyone considering adoption.(I was adopted!) We know Nia is many things: writer, actress, director, musical theaterlover! Here, though, you learn she is a mom first. Pure, beautiful honesty.” (Kristin Chenoweth ) “Vardalos offers candor, humor, and poignancy in her account of adoption and parenthood as she pokes fun at parenting memoirs but delivers on emotional impact.... Vardalos, who has become a spokesperson for adoption, offers helpful information on the process as well as encouragement to prospective adoptive parents.” (Booklist ) From the Back CoverSome families are created in different ways but are still, in every way, a family.Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos firmly believed she was supposed to be a mom, but Mother Nature and modern medicine had put her in a headlock. So she made a choice that shocked friends, family, and even herself: with only fourteen hours' notice, she adopted a preschooler.Instant Mom is Vardalos's hilarious and poignant true chronicle of trying to become a mother while fielding nosy "frenemies" and Hollywood reporters asking, "Any baby news?" With her signature wit and candor, she describes her and husband Ian Gomez's bumpy road to parenting, how they found their daughter, and what happened next. Vardalos includes a comprehensive how-to-adopt section and explores innovative ways to conquer the challenges all new moms face, from sleep to personal grooming. She learns that whether via biology, relationship, or adoption—motherhood comes in many forms.In Instant Mom, Vardalos shares the terrifying joys of parenthood and for the first time reveals her stubborn optimism and perseverance on her trek to finally becoming a mom, instantly.