• Where'd You Go, Bernadette

  • A Novel
  • By: Maria Semple
  • Narrated by: Kathleen Wilhoite
  • Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (17,176 ratings)

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Where'd You Go, Bernadette  By  cover art

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

By: Maria Semple
Narrated by: Kathleen Wilhoite
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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

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What listeners say about Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    8,885
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    5,198
  • 3 Stars
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Performance
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Story
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  • 4 Stars
    4,645
  • 3 Stars
    2,002
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    363

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Best book ever!!

I needed a book to escape with.
This is it. It’s delightful. It’s hilarious. It’s charming. It’s absolutely endearing. I feel like listening to it again, I loved it so much. And the narrator - while she sometimes made Bea sound too young - was really good.
Highly recommend!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book ... the story, the narration, the eccentricity of the characters (all of them) and the way it made me smile or laugh out loud!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Kitschy

Loved it but disappointed with the ending.
Kathleen Wilhoite is delightful. I would listen to her anytime.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Something different!

What a great read! I enjoyed every minute with Bernadette and B. Can’t wait to see the movie

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    5 out of 5 stars
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My kind of book!

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

I would totally recommend this audiobook to my friends! Actually I already have. Easy to listen to, liked the story and light enough to listen to while doing other stuff. I'm a technical writer so I need a good book to stay focused on the technical stuff!

Who was your favorite character and why?

The daughter of course!

What about Kathleen Wilhoite’s performance did you like?

She was easy to listen to.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing narration

Kathleen Wilhoite was amazing! She sang, she did accents, she so perfectly embodied the spirit of this novel. Quirky, with a very unique narrative line, this book is one of the most original that I’ve “read” in years! Loved it, loved it, loved it!!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ridiculously Entertaining Listen!

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

I will listen to this again! We performed with realistic characters made more so by the reader. This was so well done, that it was like watching it on television!

What other book might you compare Where'd You Go, Bernadette to and why?

I have no other book to compare it to. It's one-of-a-kind!

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

She has a 15-year-old voice that sounded just like the character should have. Not overdone...just right!

If you could rename Where'd You Go, Bernadette, what would you call it?

Perfect title-why change it?

Any additional comments?

I loved the characters in this book and I think it had a lot to do with the way they had real-life interactions with each through their e-mail correspondence. I thought it was going to be a silly read and it was far from that. If anything, the front dust cover didn't represent it well at all. Great book!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great find

I randomly selected this book from its rave reviews, and I wasn't disappointed. I was looking for some good fiction and this book was great. The plot and characters are quirky and unique. I definitely recommend!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Bizarre

What was most disappointing about Maria Semple’s story?

It spun in so many circles without much resolution, moms insane, house is decrepit, child is confused and lost. dad is busy and having a one night stand and all circles back to- thats completely fine?

Would you listen to another book narrated by Kathleen Wilhoite?

The voice was hard to get used to.

Was Where'd You Go, Bernadette worth the listening time?

It kept me listening but ended very unsatisfyingly

Any additional comments?

The book DID keep me listening but I felt like it spun in circles, tangents, there were a lot of other stories under the surface that weren't touched on. Nice build, certainly made Bernadette seem insane, she disappears, oh here you are in Antarctica...totally normal, we'll just patch things up then- and a preggo assistant???

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Not at all hokey; going on my favorites list

I have frequently found books written in this style – pretend emails between different characters, pretend letters, pretend faxes, etc. – to be incredibly hokey. But this was engrossing, smooth, well written, and a ton of fun!

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