Drinking with Men: A Memoir By: Rosie Schaap

ISBN-13: 978-1594487118

I picked this book up because I read the title and could relate.  I've been the lady among men, many times.  More than I care to share with my parents and more than I think I care to share with myself.  I've sat in the townie bar many times, next to older men who have had 3 lives to my 1 and listened intently to their stories and experiences. With that in mind, I wasn't really sure what the expect from Ms Schaap's book.  Is this going to be a timeline of trashy romances?  Will she regale us with tales of drunken shenanigans?  Do I have to worry about Tucker Max showing up with his breathalyzer and a leggy blonde?

Fortunately, none of the above happened.  Drinking with Men is a love story, but its one written to the establishments and the people who frequent them.  Painting a picture of places that were created with the most genuine of intentions and by people who love their community.  At the same time, we follow a large part of Ms Schaap's life-dropping out of high school and eventually going to college and finding her way in the stall-pattern being a responsible adult can put us in.

Those of us who have been bartenders or barflies can appreciate Ms Schaap's nod to one of the oldest business practices around and it can shape your thoughts, your knowledge and give you a more broad look on life from the stool of a public house.