Delivering inspiration and "parenting comedy at its finest,"* here is one woman's story of ditching her fairytale dreams and falling in love with her unpredictable, chaotic, imperfect life

Kristina Kuzmic has made herself a household name, speaking directly to mothers from the trenches of parenthood via her viral videos and social media presence. She is now bringing her message of self-acceptance, resilience, and joy to book readers. With a refreshingly unpretentious, funny, and galvanizing voice, Kuzmic goes behind the scenes to reveal how she went from broke and defeated to unshakably grounded and brimming with thankfulness. Illuminating the hard-won wisdom from a life always spent one step behind—whether it was as a high school student new to America, a suddenly single mother to two kids, remarried and juggling two teens and a toddler, or the unexpected recipient of Oprah's attention and investment—Hold On, But Don't Hold Still is the book every mother needs to reassure her that she's not only fine just as she is, but that she already has more tools and support than she can possibly imagine. Sparkling with wit, this heartfelt memoir is like a long coffee date with a best friend, or the eleventh-hour text message that gives you just the boost you need to get through the night.

*The Huffington Post

A VIKING LIFE TITLE

★ 11/18/2019

Blogger Kuzmic debuts with a moving and hilarious memoir focusing primarily on motherhood. Kuzmic immigrated to the United States as a teenager after fleeing war-torn Croatia, was a single mother to two young children, and, at one point, relied on food stamps to feed her family. A love of cooking led Kuzmic to open a makeshift soup kitchen, then to launch her blog Sticky Cook, and finally land her own television show, The Ambush Cook, on the OWN network. Winning Your Own Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star helped Kuzmic amass an audience, but she found her stride posting parenting videos online. Kuzmic writes that, in her videos and in her everyday life, she uses her lowest points as catalysts for change: battling poverty and depression taught her “the only way out is through,” the worry and guilt that come with motherhood inspired her to relinquish some control, and being the victim of “mom shaming” helped her set realistic expectations for herself as a parent. In her most affecting chapter, “I Didn’t Tell,” Kuzmic talks about the importance of finding one’s voice. Kuzmic’s tenacious and refreshingly candid memoir will appeal to any reader. Agent: Anna Sproul-Latimer, Ross Yoon Agency. (Feb.)

Kristina Kuzmič was born in Croatia and is a world-renowned speaker known for her unique insight and humor on family-related topics. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband, where her most important, rewarding, and exhausting careers include being a sanitation engineer, chef, chauffer, and conflict-resolution guru for her three (mostly satisfied) clients—her children.