Laura & Emma
Book Review - Laura & Emma by Kate Greathead
Reading Laura & Emma at a park in Chicago, IL
When publishers ask me to read and review a book, they often send me a brief synopsis of the plot...much like you'd read on Amazon or Goodreads, but shorter because book bloggers need to spend their time reading books not long book descriptions. But the publisher who sent me this book went above and beyond with a personal anecdote that totally sold me on the book. It went like this:
Reading Laura & Emma at a park in Chicago, IL
Reading Laura & Emma at a park in Chicago, IL
"My mother sent me a text last night which said, only, 'I saw Ladybird.'
A little nervous and not sure what was being implied by her brevity, I immediately called for her take on the film sweeping theaters around the country. Along with the varied themes on class, family and teenage relationships, its story of a young woman’s coming of age seems to have struck a chord for its poignant, funny and bittersweet depiction of a mother-daughter relationship. While fumbling with my phone I wondered if my own mother had the same reaction I did: that it somehow perfected the odd juxtaposition between parents and children, where you both know everything and nothing about one another and it sometimes feels as though your whole life is spent evolving in relation to them."
...she went on to include the typical plot description and then ended with this:
"PS – Mom loved Ladybird. I’m sending her Laura & Emma next."
Reading Laura & Emma at a park in Chicago, IL
I, too, saw Lady Bird and I also loved it. So I had her send me Laura & Emma, whose plot, as it happens, is rather difficult to describe. Laura and Emma are mother and daughter, respectively, and the book is about their relationship over the course of 15 years. Each chapter is a new year so we get small snippets of their lives - sometimes just everyday occurrences (a family dinner for example), other times significant events (such as Emma going off to boarding school.) The book takes place in New York City, primarily, and touches on themes you might expect between the years 1980-1995. Ugh, it is difficult to describe - really, comparing it to Lady Bird is the best way for someone to understand what this book is like. If you haven't seen the movie, you should. And then, if you liked the movie, pick up this book on your way home.
With that being said, the ending was infuriating! I'll leave it at that.
Reading Laura & Emma at a park in Chicago, IL
Reading Laura & Emma at a park in Chicago, IL
