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

Loved book, Kathleen Wilhoite amazing

What a difference it makes to have a good book read by someone who can make it come alive. The emotion, intelligence and creativity of Kathleen Wilhoite’s reading made this joy of a book a true gift. Thank you Maria! Thank you Kathleen!

Great read!

This was such a great story! I found myself unable to put it down! loved it!

Fun and diverting

A funny and clever book,. The epistolary format is well done. I put this off for a long time because it was so popular, expected it to be trite. I was confused by the newest cover with Cate Blanchett in costume as Samantha -- thought it was Anna Wintour. As for narration--Kathleen Wilhoite has a funny raspy voice that worked for some of the characters but not for others. Bea is supposed to be 14 but she made her sound like an 8-year-old. And there's a part where two characters are said to be talking breathlessly fast, yet she reads them both super slow. Weird. Overall she was over emphatic for most of the characters and a bit annoying, but it didn't ruin the book.

Fun book.

I struggled at first because of the narratiom sounding like a much younger chld. I learned to enjoy it. Fun listen.

Confusing

I think this is a cute story, however, the voices are a babble to me. Grating and irritating to my ear. I will try reading the book.

Love!!

Exceeded my expectations! Truly entertaining. Unexpected story line. Great performance. Would listen again! 10/10

good book

I absolutely loved it. it's a funny and enjoyable read. looking forward to seeing the movie.

Delightful

Started out not thrilled (like the first 5 min) and then I quickly was hooked and it was hilarious and fun and a delight to listen to!

Ridiculous

Narration salvaged this book for me and allowed me to finish it to the end. The entire story, however, was just ridiculous. I think this might be the first book that will actually be made better by screen writers.

fun, twisting storyline

Fun references to local places I know in a story told from varyng points of view. Audible version certainly agreed to many pieces of the storyline, especially the Christmas concert singing but had to keep reminding myself that B wasn't 10 years old (as she sounded). Overall, much better than I was expecting