rjleamon11 's review for:

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

5.0

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Just spent two hours this morning finishing up this one. I started reading it thinking, "ANOTHER variation on the same old/same old story. . . ." but I ended up moved and impressed by Weiner's insightful, loving connections. For those who know Weiner's background and have read her other works, there are certainly familiar aspects to the plot; however, this handling of the story of mothers and daughters finding their ways in the world is deeply developed and carefully thought through. As a reader born in 1963, I experienced many of the same questions and challenges, and watched people I care about negotiate the same pathways. Weiner's investigations of family loyalty, social change, love, and identity on a variety of levels pushed me to think about women's history in the US, politics in the US, and my own experience in new ways. I think this would be a great book club book (for more than one meeting!), and I'd love to read a sequel. There's a lot to think about here.