Book Description (Publisher): The acclaimed author of the international bestsellers In and Out of the Garden and Sara Midda's South of France turns her genius to the universally shared emotions, charms, and mysteries of childhood. Each page of Growing Up and Other Vices is a book unto itself. Whimsical little figures illustrate Table Manners ("Do not rummage through the dish to find the tastiest morsel for yourself"); Things You Are Supposed to Grow Out Of . . .; A Noise Brought on by Nature and How to Deal with It; and Behaviour Towards Various Creatures. In a work that is both enchanting and revealing, Sara Midda wryly observes our adult imperfections. Not a drawing, not a word is untrue, not a moment untouched by a smile of recognition. 52,000 copies in print. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.