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.
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Finally read Where’d You Go, Bernadette . It was a quick, enjoyable read mainly told through letters, emails, and articles. I especially loved the drama between the titular character and the busybody neighbor. I could read a whole book of just Bernadette interacting with PTA moms. The storylines following daughter/narrator, Bee, and …
This novel took me by surprise. I devoured it in 1 day! For me to clear a Saturday for a book speaks volumes.
At its core, the story is about a mother-daughter relationship as the mom launches her “second act” in life. She doesn’t go willingly. Circumstances force Bernadette to look at her life. Don’t worry. It’s not a navel-gazer. It’s warm, …
This is the perfect beach book. You will eat it up like boardwalk soft-serve! Told in a series of emails, notes, receipts and texts, it’s laugh out loud funny and compulsively readable with a cast of characters that jump off the page. The book follows Bee–the 15 year old protagonist–who is searching for her mom, devilishly quirky Bernadette, who …
I loved this book. It was funny, unexpected, and a delight to read. It also has an underlying message about the importance of creativity in our lives.
An interesting peak into how some intelligent folks live, Dad is a Microsoft inventor and the Mom was a creative architect but became a stay at home mom with too much to do. The book is written in the first person through the eyes of the teenage daughter, whom appears to be a fantastic child who knows way too much about her parents lives. The …
This is a funny and smart read about a woman named Bernadette Fox who used to be an award winning architect but is now a stay at home mom who hates interacting with other people. While planning a trip to Antartica Bernadette goes missing leaving her daughter and husband behind to try and piece together the puzzle. It’s a quick book with a very …
One of the most original books i’d read in a long time. I listened to the audiobook, which really helped distinguish the characters’ voices. Also, unlike many books I read, I could not predict where the story was going to go. A great beach read, or something fun when you don’t want something too heavy.
I loved this book! It was so creative and fun. I think I even loved the movie more than the book because they took out the one part I didn’t like in the book. I loved the characters too. I finished this book so fast!
This is one of the most entertaining books that I have read in awhile. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle where the reasons why actions take place are revealed over time and not laid out in a straightforward manner. Because of the way the author plotted the book I found myself liking and then being irritated with the characters and then liking them again …
A wonderful joy ride!
Interesting book. I read it a while back and, while it is outside my usual genre choice, enjoyed it very much. The characters are quirky and memorable without being overdone. It is a book about relationships on par with Jodi Picoult’s work. Great read.
I enjoyed this book very much – it was fun and quirky. The characters were interesting, especially the narrator, Bee. I thought the author did a terrific job with Bee – her voice is authentic and you root for her from the beginning. Bernadette – Bee’s mother, is hilarious. Her adventures in suburbia with the “desperate housewives” neighbors are …
The characters are quirky, and at times absurd, which I love! An absolute gem of an audiobook.
Where’d You Go Bernadette is a wonderfully written and hilarious family drama about the Fox family, in particular Bernadette and her daughter Bee. The main story is told from the dual POV of Bernadette and Bee separated in time by several months. We follow Bernadette, a former world class architect, as she grapples with her agoraphobia and ‘Big …
I respect and admire when an author writes outside the box – Ms. Semple did just that. I enjoyed the book, with its twists and turns and unusualness, but it wasn’t an all-time favorite; not sure why, just didn’t click on all the desired cylinders.
Was it worth the read? Heck yes.
Would I recommend it? Yes, indeed.
I saw the movie and enjoyed …
Never have I ever read a book so unusually structured! And how well Semple executes it.
A fun read and kept me turning the page, follow the link for my full review: https://bookishbynature.com/2018/08/09/whered-you-go-bernadette/
This is the book that got me out of a reading slump.
: )
Great book! Funny, ingenious, and unforgettable. I get why people read and reread this one!
I absolutely loved this book. The wit, the intelligence, the characters, the format, the setting…everything about it. It’s a quick, fun read that’s hard to put down. I especially loved the story told from the daughter’s point of view with the other characters chiming in through emails, texts, and letters. It’s now one of my favorites! ~ …