Book Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

I actually don't know that there's really a question mark in the title. But I can't seem to make myself write the title without a question mark, so there you go...

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From the back of the book:  Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.

 ..................................................................... 

So, this year there have been two sets of two books that to me have covers that are visually similar to each other and I keep getting confused about which book is which. The first set is The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman and The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. The second set is Wonder by RJ Palacio and Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple (links are non-affiliate, if that's important to you). Anyway, I kept requesting the wrong books at the library, and then I'd get it and find myself thinking, 'this is NOT the book that I thought I was getting.' I did that twice. For each set. Don't ask.

So, I finally came across Jenn's glowing review of Where'd You Go Bernadette? and realized THAT was actually the book that I was wanting to read. And because Jenn and I generally like 98% of the same books, I was pretty sure that I'd love it, and informed Justin that I would probably me holed up in our bedroom all weekend reading. I finished it in about 8 hours.

For me, this book was a treasure. It was an absolutely hilarious book about so many timeless themes like parenting and art, but it also let you in to Bernadette's heart and soul in a way that I think is really unique for a lot of books. For example, Semple didn't just tell us as the reader that Bernadette didn't feel like she fit in in her community in Seattle. Instead, Semple told us that Bernadette, a revolutionary architect, donated a custom designed treehouse for a fundraiser auction at her daughter's school, and NO ONE BID. I mean really...as someone who has donated photo sessions for school auctions, and sat through that awkward moment when your item comes up for bid and you have that initial feeling of 'oh my God, what if no one likes me and no one likes my work and no one bids and I'll just have to sit here and smile?!', I got it. I totally, completely, 100% understood Bernadette with that one sentence.

And while not many of us are millionaires in creepy old houses who have become hermits and pay someone from India to be their personal assistant so that they need to have virtually no contact with the outside world, I think that there are parts of Bernadette that nearly everyone will relate to.  You'll laugh. You might cry. And you'll probably read through this as fast as you can to try and find out what happened to Bernadette. I know I did.

Overall? 

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world. - See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/maria-semple/whered-you-go-bernadette/9780316204279/#descBernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world. - See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/maria-semple/whered-you-go-bernadette/9780316204279/#desc

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world. - See more at: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/maria-semple/whered-you-go-bernadette/9780316204279/#desc