Where'd You Go, Bernadette

A Novel

By: Maria Semple

Narrated by: Kathleen Wilhoite

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2012 Maria Semple (P)2012 Hachette Audio

Really?! That is how it ends!!!

At First it took a minute to understand how the book was being read. Once that made more sense I loved the book. Right up until the end! So many unanswered questions! So frustrating! I hate when books end like that!! Zero closure!!! Ugh!!!

Unique. Interesting.

Full of surprises. Just keep listening. I liked the format, the story is pieced together like a quilt.

Wonderful

Bea read more like a 10 year old then a 15 year old, which was extremely grating throughout. Nonetheless, a truly wonderful book!

Loved this story.

I never saw the movie, but Sandra Bullock must have been carefully chosen for the role of Bernadette. I could hear her voice throughout the book. A very good listen!

Loved the book, Loved the performance!

I do a lot of audiobooks oh, it's the first one I've ever directions review for. this book was fantastic. would I have loved it as much if Kathleen Wilhoite wasn't the one narrating it? Probably, because the book was very good. But the narrating was fantastic, too. I had no idea Kathleen could sing like that!

Let down

I got this book because of the stellar reviews. I was very disappointed. A lot of the story was very boring. And I did not care about the main character enough (Bernadette) to worry about what happened to her. I feel like I wasted my time!

Seriously entertaining!

This book was so enjoyable, witty, and hilariously performed. I may be from Seattle (so some of the Seattle “inside scoop” definitely made me laugh) but I think this book speaks to anyone interested in a book that is part adventure, part epistolary confessions, and part coming of age tale!

Meh

It was very hard to follow this book, moving from one piece of communication to another, including a report card, lists, invoices, emails from various individuals, transcripts of conversations.... I had to get the hard copy to follow along to have it make sense. I think my main problem was with the narration. Way over-exaggerated! I felt like I was back in 2nd grade at story-time with the teacher trying to keep the class's attention. I can't imagine adult women acting and reacting (especially over email!) as the women in this book. I can't even imagine an 8th grade girl like Bee - and I taught middle school for 20 years! I'm sorry I wasted a buy one, get one free credit on this.

Seriously good

The reader did such a great job depicting each character and making you feel like the were all different readers. I enjoyed the story so much I stayed up till 3 am to hear the ending.

Knockout text, knockout narration!

I love love loved this sprawling, funny, moving book. Kathleen Wilhoite is masterful in her subtle, heartfelt portrayal of the characters. Who needs any movie version when the audiobook is this good!