Sarah Bird is acclaimed for her multi-layered novels that are at once hilarious and moving. Here Bird examines "the ever-deepening mysteries of parents and children as they grow up and apart" (Publishers Weekly). Working single-mother Cam Lightsey is proud to give her daughter Aubrey a chance at a good education. But when Aubrey turns her attention away from college and toward a boy at school, their once solid mother-daughter relationship quickly begins to crumble. ". wry and funny . Sure to please Bird's fans."-Library Journal
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"I was so annoyed by the mother in this book that I stopped reading it several times. However her character did evolve. I can't believe that all single mothers are so incredibly intertwined (only on the mothers part) with their daughters. Perhaps it is my old age showing, but didn't this women realoize that daughters grow up and separate from their parents. I have never been divorced but carrying on a hatred for her ex for 16 years seems to be excessive. I do know some people who have done this, but the ex was usually alot more evil." — Joan (4 out of 5 stars)
"I was so annoyed by the mother in this book that I stopped reading it several times. However her character did evolve. I can't believe that all single mothers are so incredibly intertwined (only on the mothers part) with their daughters. Perhaps it is my old age showing, but didn't this women realoize that daughters grow up and separate from their parents. I have never been divorced but carrying on a hatred for her ex for 16 years seems to be excessive. I do know some people who have done this, but the ex was usually alot more evil."
“A soulful portrait of that awkward, exhilarating and bittersweet point in a mother’s relationship with her child—the time to let go.”
“Humorous and lively…A perceptive if lighthearted depiction of the process of separation from the points of view of a mother and daughter.”
“Bird’s wit shines through on every page—she’s the kind of author readers all wish they could spend an hour kvetching with over margaritas—but she also has a real knack for eavesdropping on her characters’ inner lives.”
“The Gap Year is satire with heart…In this smart novel, love trumps the past and the expected future.”
“Wry and funny. Sure to please Bird’s fans.”
" It was an interesting story line. Not one that I remember reading, so I did find it entertaining, but not "Oh what are they doing now, gotta go and find out." "
" Awesome story told from the points of view of a mother and daughter at a transition. Great writing style, engaging plot and likeable characters. Loved this book! "
" Reinforced my decision to not reproduce. "
" I might have given this book a higher reading had I not read it on the plane ride home from dropping my son off 3000 miles away for his gap year. Timing is everything. "
" Thought the daughter was an obnoxious little pain in the ass. "
" It was ok, but the ending took a really, really long time. So tempted to skip to the end, but I didn't. I did stop reading it for the night, though, and just finished it up the next day. "
" As a single mom, I found humor in this novel. I enjoyed reading it. "
" Surprisingly liked this book a lot. Picked it up at the library with no expectations whatsoever. Immediately got caught up in identifying parts of Austin that I love so much. Loved the fresh tone and the mother-daughter duality. Definitely recommend. "
" This book started out really slow. It picked up toward the end but there were still a lot of unanswered questions. "
" Meh. I thought I'd like it a lot more than I did. Story had the potential to be interesting, but I couldn't care less about any of the characters. For as deep as they tried to be, it made them all the more superficial. "
" Predictable but interesting little read "
" great. book any parent who has hope's. for a child will identify with "
" It took a long time for me to get interested in the book, but once the plot started to come together it was very good. "
" I thought it'd be a light book to read for the summer, but unfortunately it was TOO light. I didn't even make it to fifty pages because the main character's saucy red-headed friend shows up at the pool and annoyed me so much I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy much in the book. "
" Didn't finish it. I closed the book forever after reading about how stay-at-home moms only have to worry about which spinning class to go to next. Don't read this, friends. "
" Hard to get in to, but I loved the way it ended. "
" It's one of those books that make you grateful for your wonderful children. "
" ice easy summer read. Makes you think about how much control we really have on of children's future once they're grown. "
" I really liked how this story was told from two completely different points of view. I found myself identifying with both characters, for different reasons. "
" Excellent story of mother-daughter interactions. Hopes and dreams do not always work out as planned. "
" I liked it enough to finish it. It didn't go anywhere near where I thought it was going, and that made it a little anti-climatic for me. "
" Maybe it's because my kids are not teens, but I couldn't connect with any of the characters and ended up flipping to the end to see what happened. Writing was fine, I just couldn't get into the story. "
" Rich and intriguing storytelling. Genuine and funny characters. It was amazing--I loved it. "
Sarah Bird is the author of several novels. She is a columnist for Texas Monthly and has written for the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Glamour, and Mademoiselle, among other publications. Her novel Above the East China Sea was long-listed for the Dublin International Literary Award.
Christina Moore is an actress and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. As an actress, she is best known for her roles in the television series That ’70s Show, Hawthorne, and 90210. She is a founding member of Bitches Funny, an all-female sketch group that has performed in New York City and Los Angeles.
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