Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Maria Semple (4.0)
I must say that I’ve been getting some very good books
from my library this summer. Add this one to the pile! It’s a relatively
fast-paced story of a quirky family in Seattle planning a trip to the Antarctic–
the father is a workaholic exec at Microsoft, the daughter is a brilliant and well
adjusted teen, and the mother (Bernadette of the title) is a once famous
architect who is either just strange or going insane. The majority of the book
is told through a paper trail (emails, faxes, etc.), which was unsettling at
the start, but eventually felt right. The book has a lot of humor and present
day subjects (Microsoft, TED talks, eco-building e.g.) mixed with family issues
(crazy neighbors, hyper school parents, to name two). Overall it had warmth.
You really want Bernadette to be quirky, not crazy. There was only one item in
the plot that I did not like – an action that felt wrong for the particular character.
I won’t give it away as I’m sure you’ll find it on your own. In spite of that
it may be my fascination with all things Seattle, my love of satire or my
interest in exotic travel, but I really enjoyed this book.
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