The Poop Diaries by Abby Ross: These Plumbers have Seen and Smelled it All.

The Poop Diaries by Abby Ross Kindle Edition, 236 pg. Black Rose Writing, 2020 Read: April 4-11, 2020 Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

Plumbers are not always just plumbers. We are rescuers, concierges, and listeners. We go into people’s homes, treat them with respect, answer their questions, and fix their problems.

Back in February, I posted a Book Spotlight and Guest Post from Abby Ross about the origin of this project. I’ve now found the time to read it, and it’s exactly what was promised. A collection of anecdotes about memorable jobs and the people they’ve helped from a wide variety of plumbers at various stages of their careers.

Most of the stories sound like the stories someone would share over beers—generally told to amuse/entertain, some feature some pretty gross things, some are heartwarming (a couple are particularly sweet). And wow—the things they’ve found? Mind-boggling.

Yes, occasionally, the stories get repetitive—there are only so many plumbing problems. It reminded me a little of Herriot’s All Creatures… books, which also largely consisted of variations on a theme. But they’re quick enough reads that it’s easy to get past. And every time a tale starts to feel like one you’ve read before, within a page it moves to something else and that’s over with.

I wouldn’t have minded a little more detail about what some of the technical terms mean—I was able suss them out from context, and eventually, we’re given better definitions, it just would’ve been nice to have it up front.

My biggest—really only—complaint was the lack of contractions in the dialogue. Sure, I knew that none of the dialogue was made of exact quotations, it was all paraphrases based on memory. But still, everyone speaking in a wooden, contraction-less manner just feels wrong.

A breezy book that makes you think about a segment of the population that most of us likely try not to think about, but really should. Ross helps us to do so by hearing their stories—with an emphasis on those that’ll make you grin. This sentiment is repeated throughout the book, and it’s a pretty good note to end on:

“If things get bad and your furnace breaks, you can always build a fire. If your electricity goes out, you can always light a candle. But you always need clean water to drink and a place to go poop.”

And that is why the world will always need plumbers.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion, I thank her for it.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.