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

A Thought Provokingly Fun Farce

This is a mommy come of age book if there ever was one. It will make you sick but curious, and sympathetic but exasperated all at the same time. It will just about embarrass you for all female American moms while it makes you love them and their young, too. But for the extremes, it might be a pretty fantastic fictional essay on the women of my generation, as we face the banality of life. We have many choices. We can be hormonally lunatic, desperately hiding, snarky and adulterous, a menace to society, or we can get on with our lives and purpose. We can get back to creativity. We can choose men who will not check out of our lives but who help us embrace them. Where Oh where is . . . ? May all the Bernadettes out there find themselves.

Engaging!

Would you listen to Where'd You Go, Bernadette again? Why?

I don't think that I would listen to it again but that would only be because I do not often reread books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bernadette is my favorite character because she is such a lively and vibrant person. She has such a quirky personality which I adored throughout the book.

Which character – as performed by Kathleen Wilhoite – was your favorite?

I think that Bea is performed the best by the narrator

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There was not a particular moment that moved me.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a book that kept my interest. I really loved it!

Best book I’ve read in a long long time!

It’s been so long since I read a book that was so satisfying. It made me laugh hysterically, weepy cry, call mean names aloud to the stupid whore in the book, made me a bit introspective and wrapped itself in a bow at the end like I need it to - because really I don’t need anymore stress in my life beside actual life. 💝
A must read! Now I have to watch the movie!

It would be twice as good if it was half as long

The characters ramble and ramble and ramble. And ramble some more. There is wit and humor and a decent entertainment value, but there are loose ends to this story and a downright questionable storyline... that had you wanting to write to the author and set her straight about the blackberry bush incident. Also I wished she cut Sue Lynn's character out completely. So annoying. She gave it her very best Holden Caulfield and for that I appreciated it, but I just wished every diatribe was cut in half.

Loved this book.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this book kept me engaged, listening whenever possible.

What did you like best about this story?

Not knowing what is going to happen next.

What does Kathleen Wilhoite bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice, and energy bring the story to life!!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, when the family is separated in more ways than one.

Any additional comments?

Really a great story!! Intelligent! You should listen to this one!! Entertaining!

4 stars is rare from me

I was on the fence between 3 1/2 - 4 stars. I’m a 3 star kinda reader/listener. I enjoy most everything but rarely “wowed” by it. Where’d You Go Bernadette was such an unexpected delightful surprise I had to add that extra star! This was a Fun, quirky, and amusing story. It will surely have something relatable to just about everyone. The style wasn’t my favorite but apparently worked since I enjoyed it so much. The story is told though emails/texts. I didn’t realize there was a movie. I definitely listened as if it were and pictured everything! Now I have to watch it for real. The narration was pretty good and my attention never wandered. I would definitely recommend, esp if this is your genre!

Hysterical and Brilliant

It’s one of those books where you don’t want it to stop. It’s a laugh out loud read that’s relatable and genius.

Amazing book!

I loved it! Well done! Very fun to listen to as I drive to work. This was my favorite audio book so far. Well written and the performance is top notch.

It took a little bit to get into...

but once I was a few chapters in I was hooked. Glad I stuck with it!!

Fantastic Audio!

Just watched the movie and wish I hadn’t as I enjoyed t hi s production so much. Fantastically narrated!