Quick take
A wacky mother-daughter tale that shifts between hilarious and heart-wrenching.
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Quirky
Puzzle
Buzzy
Now a movie
Synopsis
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 her best friend and, simply, Mom.
Then Bernadette vanishes. It all 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, and secret correspondence—creating a compulsively readable and surprisingly touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter’s role in an absurd world.
Member ratings (4,205)
Katherine O.
Philadelphia, PA
Entertaining story with lots of moving parts that tied up very nicely at the end. Liked that it included some interesting info (architecture, Antarctica) but wasn’t overdone with dense info. 5 stars!
Nicole R.
Columbus, OH
I’ve wanted to read this for so long and am glad I finally did! Great plot twists and easy to follow, even with some time jumps. You love some characters, hate others, but they all fit together well!
Bri B.
Tampa, FL
This story really shows a different point of view on what it’s like to be a woman and a mom. Shining light on the struggles of losing, finding and redefining ones self, there book is truly inspiring
Jessica W.
Chapel Hill, NC
Went into this book knowing nothing, and i was pleasantly surprised about how much i enjoyed it! Forever laughing at the seattle gnats and cherishing the story of Bee and her family antics! Movie next
Megan B.
Grandville, MI
LOVE! Every so often I was so excited about this story I would call my family to tell them how great this book is! You can relate to Bernadette and Bee, and the writing style created a special mystery