Where'd
You Go, Bernadette?
by Maria Semple
This book is one of the most
fun and original stories I've read in a long time. Since being awarded the
MacArthur Genius award for her innovative "green" architecture, Bernadette Fox
has become increasingly agoraphobic and anxiety-ridden. Her interactions with
the neighbors and other mothers at her daughter's private school are fueled by
razor-sharp wit and a devestating social anxiety, often resulting in the sort of
comments you'd sometimes like to say outloud but never actually do. When it all
becomes too much for Bernadette and she diappears, it's up to her precocious
daughter Bee to figure out what happened by trolling through her mom's emails,
school correspondence and psychologist and police reports. Every character (from
her iconically nerdy husband to the "helicopter moms" at Bee's school) is
charmingly unusual and oddly relatable, culpable yet understandable. Where'd
You Go, Bernadette? is a refreshingly creative, laugh-out-loud and
enchanting read. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Arrested
Development tv series on dvd (the author used to write for Arrested
Development).] -- recommended by Steph E. - Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
[Also available in book-on-cd
and Large
Print formats.]
[ official Where'd You Go, Bernadette web site ] | [ official Maria Semple web site ]
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