Sunday, November 11, 2012

Book Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

Here's a quirky (in a good way) read - Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple - that had me chuckling out loud. Bernadette Fox chose to move from L.A. to Seattle with her genius husband, Elgie, who's a god at Microsoft. Now she hates Seattle, the stay-at-home moms she calls gnats, the vibe, and the weather. The feud with a neighbor is very entertaining and results in a mudslide.

She loves and adores her daughter, Bee, her one connection to the real world, and yet she's encouraging Bee to go to boarding school.

A mass of contradictions, Bernadette Fox is a unique character, and after she disappears on a trip to Antarctica we find out she was a MacArthur grant genius in architecture. Her daughter is sure her mother is still alive and pours through various emails, correspondence, and goes on a trip with her Dad to Antarctica. Ultimately, the family discovers a great deal about themselves, family dynamics, and stifled creativity.

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