AND NOW THERE'S ZELDA comes out MAY 9 20241! Pre-order your copy today.
AND THEN THERE'S MARGARET (July 2022):
#1 US Amazon Bestseller - Kindle -Women's Humorous Fiction #1 US Amazon Bestseller - Kindle - Humor & Satire #1 US Amazon Bestseller - Kindle - Family and Parenting Humor
For fans of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go Bernadette or Camille Pagan’s I’m Fine and Neither Are You, comes the perfect laugh-out-loud dramedy AND THEN THERE'S MARGARET about marriage, midlife and a controlling, manipulative and self-absorbed mother-in-law thrown into the mix. MULTI-AWARD-WINNING debut novel, AND THEN THERE'S MARGARET, takes readers on a relatable and hilarious ride, as Allie realizes the only way to survive the angst of family is to let go….and let be.
"Perfect for women’s fiction books club wanting to explore complex and turbulent family relationships. It’s a playful coming of (middle-age) novel.” –Indie Reader
When Allison Montgomery's beloved father-in-law and long-time confidant passes away, her mother-in-law, Margaret, 'temporarily' moves in. From rearranging the furniture and taking over the kitchen, to undermining and embarrassing Allie at every turn, including funding her daughter's escape, throwing a hissy fit at the mall, and publicly equating Allie's glass of Chardonnay to full blown alcoholism, Margaret turns Allie's life upside down causing her to bounce between a sincere desire to support her grieving mother-in-law and an intense urge to simply push her out of the nearest window.
Feeling annoyed, trapped and even a little childish, Allie struggles to avoid a complete meltdown with help from her fearless and audacious best friend, a plan for reinventing herself and enjoying a second act, and, yes, a few glasses of Chardonnay. Along the way, Allie discovers the reasons behind Margaret's attitude toward her all these years. Does it help? Maybe...
2022 Chick Lit Cafe - CLC Book Excellence Award Winner - Women's Fiction/Humor 2022 Indie Book Awards Finalist - Chick Lit (Fiction) 2022 Maxy Awards Winner - Literary & Humor 2022 Readers' Choice Book Awards - Finalist - Best Adult Book 2022 Readers' Favorite - Finalist - Humor/Comedy
HenLit Central is proud to launch HenLit Central Publishing, a new independent publisher dedicated to creating engaging, high-quality activity books.
The Mind Boosters Series features a number of thoughtfully designed coloring, tracing and puzzle books that stimulate brain function, improve focus, and enhance memory, while bringing a little relaxing fun and creativity to help brighten your day.
Here are some exciting titles coming soon to the Mind Boosters Series:
Menopause Coloring Book Mindful Mazes Book Idioms & Expressions Word Search
AND THEN THERE'S MARGARET:
Next Generation Indie Book Awards – Chick Lit (Fiction) – FINALIST
Readers' Choice Book Awards - FINALIST - Best Adult Fiction
Chick Lit Cafe - CLC Book Excellence Award - 1st Place WINNER
Maxy Award Literary & Humor - WINNER
AND NOW THERE'S ZELDA:
2024 NYC BIG BOOK AWARD - Winner - HUMOR
2024 Maxy Awards Finalist - Literary & Humor
2024 Bedside Reading - Best Books of the Summer
2024 Chick Lit Book Cafe - CLBC Book Excellence Award - Winner Women's Fiction/Humor
Carolyn Clarke is the founder and curator of HenLit Central, a blog focused on light-hearted ‘life and lit’ .
EXCERPT: I unzipped my coat and stuffed my hat into my coat pocket, without taking my eyes off her. 'What happened?' I asked, certain I didn't want to know.
She paused before she replied, her head falling. 'It was an accident, of course - she was trying her version of resuscitation on George. We couldn't get her off him.' Helen managed to keep a straight face. 'She's a feisty old girl. Anyway, don't be alarmed if you see blood on the sheets.'
'Sorry, Helen,' I said. 'I hope she hasn't caused too much trouble around here.'
She let out a little sigh. 'It's okay. I know it hasn't been easy for her.'
'Yeah, I know . . . but I'm sure it hasn't been for the staff either - so thank you.' I gave her a quick but heartfelt hug before motioning Cameron to follow me down the hall.
'YOU MAY NEED TO CONSIDER HAVING HER STAY WITH YOU FOR A WHILE,' Helen called out.
I froze in my tracks, squeezing my eyes tight. What?
ABOUT 'AND THEN THERE'S MARGARET': Marriage and midlife can be difficult. But when you add a controlling, manipulative and self- absorbed mother-in-law into the mix, things can get worse-much worse. Toxic, even.
When Allison Montgomery's beloved father-in-law and long-time confidant passes away, her mother- in-law, Margaret, 'temporarily' moves in. From rearranging the furniture and taking over the kitchen, to undermining and embarrassing Allie at every turn, including funding her daughter's escape, throwing a hissy fit at the mall, and publicly equating Allie's glass of Chardonnay to full blown alcoholism, Margaret turns Allie's life upside down causing her to bounce between a sincere desire to support her grieving mother-in-law and an intense urge to simply push her out of the nearest window. Feeling annoyed, trapped and even a little childish, Allie struggles to avoid a complete meltdown with help from her fearless and audacious best friend, a plan for reinventing herself and enjoying a second act, and, yes, a few glasses of Chardonnay. Along the way, Allie discovers the reasons behind Margaret's attitude toward her all these years. Does it help? Maybe...
MY THOUGHTS: Poor Henry (Hank) is the meat in the sandwich here! I felt so sorry for this man. He's rather a sweetie. Neither his mother, Margaret, nor his wife, Allie, are particularly nice people.
Margaret is manipulative, critical and, at times, downright nasty. But, to be honest, I think her character was a little over done. Who is going to go into their son's home and move the furniture? Really? And logistically? I can't even move my own furniture without help.
Allie is old enough to realise that you never try to come between a man and his mother. Most men are well aware of their mother's shortcomings but, hey, it's his mother. She's the one who loved and raised him, instilled his values, so she must have done something right. Have a laugh with him about her. If she wants to do your housework, tell her to knock herself out! I'd be damned grateful if my mother-in-law wanted to do my housework. I'd happily let her. And wander off to have wine with my friends while she did it. But I would set boundaries for her. Interfering with the raising of Allie and Hank's children is definitely off-limits. But that's something to tackle as a couple, and Allie and Hank don't seem to have great communication. I found Allie to be quite a miserable, whiny character. I didn't much like her.
No wonder poor Hank has a heart attack!
The ending was unrealistic, and felt forced and rushed, although the book was more than long enough.
I was expecting a humorous 'mother-in-law from hell' romp. I was disappointed. I didn't find this at all funny. In fact, I thought it was rather sad.
⭐⭐. 3
#AndThenTheresMargaret #NetGalley
I: @carolynclarkeauthor @blackrosewriting
T: @CarolynRClarke @brwpublisher
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama
THE AUTHOR: Carolyn Clarke is the founder and curator of Henlit Central, a ‘life and lighting’ blog for women over 40. “And Margaret” is her first novel. She has been teaching English for over sixteen years and has co-authored several articles and resources. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with Toni, her two daughters, and Sophie, a bulldog.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Black Rose Writing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of And Then There's Margaret by Carolyn Clarke for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
2.5★s And Then There’s Margaret is the multi-award-winning first novel by American author, Carolyn Clarke. Grieving the loss of her beloved father-in-law, George, Allison Montgomery doesn’t object when her not-at-all-beloved mother-in-law, Margaret comes to stay. After all, it’s only temporary, isn’t it?
Ever since Hank brought her home to meet his parents, Margaret made it abundantly clear that Allie was not a suitable match for her beloved Henry. And in the intervening twenty-something years, Margaret takes every opportunity to let Allie know how inadequate she is as a wife and mother.
While George was around, his warmth softened some of that. Now, there’s no buffer. They are all coming to terms with their loss, so Allie doesn’t press Hank to intervene in Margaret’s manipulative ways, her need for control, her endless criticism and interfering, her demands for attention.
But Allie has more on her plate than her nasty mother-in-law: her daughter has quit college and is enamoured with a dubious character. Keith is Margaret’s handyman but also, Allie soon learns, a known womaniser and conman. Keith’s father is dating her best friend Val, and Allie is concerned for her when it appears the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
Allie’s son has just got his driver’s licence, and the numerous errands he’s doing for Margaret have Allie worrying for his safety. And a certain gorgeous redhead seems a lot more interested in Hank than Allie would prefer.
Meanwhile, Margaret rearranges Allie’s furniture, discards perfectly good left-overs, steals pocket change from coats in the closet, cleans obsessively, criticises Allie’s parenting skills, and continues to insult and denigrate her daughter-in-law in every way possible.
Don your disbelief suspenders for that aspect of the plot that sees Allie and Hank putting up with such awful behaviour for years without taking Margaret to task in any meaningful way. There’s not even a hint of why she’s like that until the final pages.
Equally incredible that, with all those crises happening in her life, Allie takes a few sickies to wallow in her misery, start a gym course and indulge in her new hobby, writing children’s fiction. And Margaret’s sudden about-turn?
There aren’t any endearing characters here: the horrible mother-in-law theme was amusing to start, but carries on for so long it becomes tedious; Allie is full of self-pity; Hank seems put-upon and spineless; their children, self-absorbed; her best friend, a flake. Disappointing.
I just did not care for this book. What mother in law would go into another person’s home and treat people like that? And what woman in their right mind would put up with such treatment?! The husband was ridiculous in not standing up for his wife. I didn’t even finish this book.
If you're anything like me, your first reaction to "meeting" Allison/Allie Montgomery was, "Whoa!" as you took a virtual step backward. As mother-in-laws go, Margaret could model for the MIL from, well, you know where, but Allie isn't perfect, either. She's stressed, feeling the pressure of aging and seems to be worried about, well, almost everything. Her anxiety is off the top of the meter much of the time and she tends to react to others negatively, no matter how minute the interaction. Her immediate reaction to the gym greeter she dubs "Gwyneth" is telling.
She's anxious about her job, husband, children, and, well, even if she's doing right by her dog. Then, things get worse. Her father-in-law, who seems to have been her rock in rocky times, dies. Mother-in-law Margaret will be moving in with the family for a time. Margaret, who always seems to find fault and has never seemed to like her. Both Allie's anxiety levels and some hilarity result. Despite the tensions within the home, Allie perseveres, even if it means pulling the covers over her head and pretending to be ill or hiding in the closet to avoid an encounter with Margaret. And, jealousy? Yep, Allison is human, with all the quirks, failings, hopes, and fears we all harbor, all magnified by the situation as Margaret rearranges furniture, snipes at Allie's clothing and habits, interferes with her daughter, and creates scene after scene.
Despite the negatives, which made it difficult for my more laid-back personality to feel really connected to Allie, I did wind up finding her a sympathetic character. I think, at least if I didn't have to be in her proximity for any long period of time, we might even be friends. Otherwise, her anxiety levels would wear me out. As for Margaret, just when you begin to think there is no hope for this relationship, something changes. Allie begins to see Margaret for what she is, pros and cons, and better understands the why of the treatment she's endured for so long. Allie even finds new purpose in life.
Nope, not telling how this miracle happens. It's a slow process with both Margaret's overbearing personality and Allie's more needy, visibly anxious and stressed one evolving as the book goes along. Remember, first appearances aren't always the right ones. While this book may not be for everyone, particularly anyone triggered by other's anxieties, it was an interesting twist on the MIL/DIL relationship. Kudos to first time novelist Carolyn Clarke for bringing these complex, evolving personalities to life.
Thanks #NetGalley and #BlackRoseWriting for giving me this peek into Allison/Allie's life.
I feel awful leaving a bad review, but this was a truly dreadful book. I think we're supposed to feel sorry for Allison because she's got this rude, buttinsky mother-in-law. Except I hated Allison by page 2 - before I'd even met the mother-in-law. On pages 1-3 our poor, bereft heroine is overly annoyed that as she's filling out her paperwork to join a gym the young employee at the counter keeps calling her ma'am. I was raised to be polite. In my family we say, "Ma'am, Sir, please, thank you, and you're welcome." I'm 47. I know how she feels. But, instead of griping about being old, refusing to properly answer the application, she sulks. Like a child. And her whiny, snotty, snobby, judgmental attitude does not get better.
Allison whines about having to leave a voice mail for her MIL. Then she mentions how much she hates getting voice mail. She does so in a way that, though this is fiction, makes me feel bad for leaving a message on an actual answering machine in the 5'th grade to see if my friend had the homework because I was sick. She makes me want to send flowers with a note of apology.
By the time the book is over Allison and her MIL have at least achieved a truce between them, a fragile peace. And for that the reader should be grateful... except Allison goes on to write a bride-to-be pages and pages of how to handle her soon to be mother-in-law. So, apparently the MIL grew, while Allison just stayed whiny.
It wasn't funny. It was sad and depressing seeing an adult woman reduced to tactics like hiding in her closet when her MIL drops by unexpectedly. No wonder society doesn't know how to act.
In the dedication the author admits she never met her MIL. One can't help but wonder if the result of this book would have been different had the author actually had a mother-in-law.
Mine was a buttinsky. She was listed as an emergency contact, so she'd go to school, pick up the kids and play hooky. We eventually had to remove her permission. Our car broke down and she called just as we were leaving. We told her we had to take the car to the mechanic and couldn't stop and talk. Since this was before cell phones she called every garage until she found us....then proceeded to ask the mechanic what was wrong with the car and how much would it cost. Fortunately she was denied the information. I could go on, but you get the gist. And I still didn't act as bratty as Allison did over her mother-in-law, who, in case you forgot, had her husband die at the very beginning of the book. I hated Allison and will never read another book by Carolyn Clarke again. And that says a lot considering last year I read 165 books. Seriously, save yourself the trouble. Find something else.
I hated this book! Spending time with totally miserable people is not fun or relaxing. Each character seems to have a passive/aggressive approach to dealing with others. There is nothing admirable in the way Allison tolerates her mother-in-law’s bad behavior or her husband’s expectation that she do so.
Thank you NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the eARC. I was looking forward to a light, amusing read, but was disappointed. There was nothing funny about the mother-in-law's attitude and behavior as far as I'm concerned. She is rude and nasty to the point I couldn't read anymore; I was getting so irritated. How her daughter in-law put up with her is amazing to me and the fact her husband did nothing to stop his mother's interference is beyond belief. I ended up giving up on the book. Sorry!
I wish there would’ve been examples of “good Margaret” occasionally. She was incredibly unlikeable so it was hard to feel anything but distaste for her. Waiting until the final few pages to show her as a person with potential was too late for me to like her. It was a good story and plot.
And Then There's Margaret is a story about an aging mother and her grown son and his family. The book mainly focuses on Margaret and her daughter-in-law, Allie. In no uncertain terms, Margaret does not like Allie. She is plain hateful, manipulative, and vial. Sadly, Allie does not handle Margaret well either.
Unfortunately this back and forth between the two women comprises 90% of the book. As a reader, I could have tolerated this storyline for some of the book but for it to be almost the entire story made the story depressing and I didn't even want to pick up the book. It was about a 1 star star up to this point mainly because of the length of the conflict.
The last 10% of the book was better with the women seeing the other's perspective and being kind to each other. Human decency. This part of the star would have earned a 4 star review if it would have composed more of the story.
Sadly, I would say don't waste your time unless you want a real downer for 90% of the book.
I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I found myself gritting my teeth while reading this book, because Margaret is possibly the mother-in-law of your worst nightmares. Allison is already stressed and anxious about various aspects of her life (body, husband, kids, job, etc.) and when her beloved father-in-law passes away, Margaret moves in with Allison and her family. Despite all the friction, there is lots of humour and eventually, Allie and Margaret come to a sort of understanding.
I couldn't finish this book because the careless mistakes made me too irritable to continue reading. Clearly the author didn't bother with an editor or even a proofreader. Someone needs to review the rules for italicizing with her, too. She persisted in a ridiculous and incorrect overuse of italics. I resent having paid for this book, when the author and publisher didn't care enough to check for mistakes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Allison Montgomery had a great relationship with her father-in-law, George. Her mother-in-law, Margaret is not her biggest fan. When George passes away she not only loses a friend and confidant, she loses the buffer he created between her and Margaret. When Margaret moves in temporarily Allie’s patience is tested to great lengths. Over the course of time and plenty of drama, Allie learns why Margaret has been treating her the way she has. Will it bring them together or drive them farther apart?
Margaret Montgomery is a master manipulator and self-absorbed. I was just 2 chapters in when I gave thanks that my mother-in-law is a wonderful independent woman and nothing like Margaret. Does she give advice? Yes, when asked? Does she try to take over our lives? No, she never would. Margaret goes over the line in Allie’s home time and time again. It is no wonder Allie drinks, but she is no alcoholic. Ms. Clarke has created interesting characters in Margaret and Allie. Margaret is cunning. Allie is smart. Margaret brings drama and chaos. Allie knows how to pick her battles and not to come between a man and his mother. Allie is a kindergarten teacher. That helps her handle some of Margaret’s behaviors. I do wish Allie had more focus about her life. She wants changes and makes snap decisions that don’t work out at least most of the time. Her latest big change is just starting at the end of the book. I have hope that it is a good move.
The supporting cast is made up of Allie’s husband Hank, their son Cameron, and their daughter Samantha. Margaret effects each of their lives in different ways. Hank is a financial analyst with a stressful job and a mother complex. I was disappointed he didn’t stand up for Allie more. Samantha is twenty-one and has flunked most of her college exams and is trying to “find herself”. She and Margaret were thick as thieves and it could have cost them both dearly. Cameron is in high school, ready to take his driver’s test. I have a 16-year-old grandson so I really felt sorry for Cameron who took on a lot dealing with his grandmother. I really enjoyed the times Allie was “talking” to George. It spoke to the bond they had and gave her a way to cope.
Maybe because I am on Allie’s side I didn’t find as much humor in the story as was touted. Some passages were depressing and others hurtful. The ending felt off because it happened too quickly. It was a good place to start and should have happened earlier in the story.
And Then There’s Margaret was not the book I had thought it would be but it made me appreciate the family I have. We have been through a lot and may not always see eye to eye, but we always have each other’s backs.
I have read the synopsis of the next book, And Now There’s Zelda. It takes place five years after this one ends with the focus on Cameron. I want to read it just to see how and if this dysfunctional family has moved forward at all.
I purchased this book from Amazon. It is part of my personal collection.
I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
My Review:
This story opens as Allison, a middle-aged woman, has decided to join a gym around the turn of the New Year, like millions of other, and like so many others, she's being escorted through the membership process by a fit and trim blond she equates with Gwenyth. During that sign-up process, she learns her father-in-law has passed away in the hospital. She rallies her family but joins late, where we meet her somewhat violent and always bossy and manipulative mother-in-law Margaret. Soon we realize that Allison is probably reasonable and acidic and hilarious.
Around the midpoint, Allison receives a random marketing email, perhaps the same email sent to a million other people, but for some reason, she adopts the email's guidance as her newfound personal quest... to write a book.
This book is pitched as a "Laugh Out Loud 'Dramedy'" but I didn't get it. I didn't laugh out loud.
The main character seems like a narcissist or at least someone who is sad, downtrodden, depressed and mad at the world. She is self-centered to a fault. She seems to misunderstand so many situations. When she quits a job, she thinks she's sticking it to The Man, but we know he's so glad she's leaving and he has her replacement already lined up. There are a half dozen more of these situations but I don't want to spoil it. She misses it, but we get it, and it's just... sad. For me, she had no agency. Stuff just happens to her. She changes her life on a whim, more than once. Nothing is deep. She couldn't be more shallow. Is this the point?
This would matter if I cared for her, but I don't. I think she's borderline abusing her children. She hates and mistreats her mother-in-law. She ignores her husband in his deepest time of need. If this is the point, I don't get it.
But maybe you should read about this woman and her family and decide what you think.
AND THEN THERE'S MARGARET... by Carolyn Clarke
Published by: Black Rose Writing Publication date: July 21, 2022 Pages: 258 Genres: (classified by publisher: Laugh Out Loud 'Dramedy'); (and from me: literary fiction) POV: First person, past tense Narrator: Medium distance, trustworthy Opening setting: New Body Fitness club where Margaret is filling out a membership form in front of a too friendly, Gwenyth-type cute blond who sounds condescendingly polite Other significant locations: Allison's house; hospital Number of named, identified or described characters: 20+
Publisher's Summary:
Marriage and midlife can be difficult. But when you add a controlling, manipulative and self- absorbed mother-in-law into the mix, things can get worse-much worse. Toxic, even.
When Allison Montgomery's beloved father-in-law and long-time confidant passes away, her mother- in-law, Margaret, 'temporarily' moves in. From rearranging the furniture and taking over the kitchen, to undermining and embarrassing Allie at every turn, including funding her daughter's escape, throwing a hissy fit at the mall, and publicly equating Allie's glass of Chardonnay to full blown alcoholism, Margaret turns Allie's life upside down causing her to bounce between a sincere desire to support her grieving mother-in-law and an intense urge to simply push her out of the nearest window. Feeling annoyed, trapped and even a little childish, Allie struggles to avoid a complete meltdown with help from her fearless and audacious best friend, a plan for reinventing herself and enjoying a second act, and, yes, a few glasses of Chardonnay. Along the way, Allie discovers the reasons behind Margaret's attitude toward her all these years. Does it help? Maybe...
For fans of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go Bernadette or Marian Keyes’s The Break, comes the perfect laugh-out-loud ‘dramedy’. And Then There’s Margaret takes readers on a relatable and hilarious ride, as Allie realizes the only way to survive the angst of family is to let go.
Allie Montgomery is as unlikeable and selfish as the mother-in-law she battles throughout this book. I knew upfront, when Allie judged the gym receptionist for taking a phone call then turned around and took her own, that this woman would be a deeply flawed character that one book would have a hell of a time developing. My sympathy lay mostly with her husband, Hank, who is caught in between his wife and mother, but also manages insecurities from Allie about his female colleague. Allie truly needs a therapist, and seems to suffer from depression and anxiety. I find it hard to believe that her mental health improves so much because of how the book ends. I believe it can help, how it ended, but I don’t believe she’s hit the core of her insecurities and her feelings of being lost as the mother of children who are almost out of the house. Therefore, the book was frustrating as I didn’t feel the character had a realistic growth in the book. In actuality, Margaret seemed to. Margaret seemed to be the one who got to the root of her issues and said this is why I am the way I am. And she tried. Not saying she developed fully but it was good to see. For the lack of the main character properly growing, for the sometimes ridiculousness/extraordinary ways of straight up verbal abuse dished out by both parties…I just couldn’t give this one more than 3 stars. It’s well written but…something is missing for me.
Not for me, and will not recommend. I thought the narrator (main character, Allie) was pessimistic, critical, flighty, and just an awful person. She had difficulty in every one of her relationships, making me honestly wonder if the story would reveal she had mental illness. How could the reader align with her and dislike the mother-in-law when Allie basically hated everyone: her boss, the girl at the gym, even her own daughter? Was this supposed to be funny? It was only irritating.
Furthermore, the writing style was terribly juvenile. The author used only simplistic writing style, which felt clunky, adding in random details as drawn-out, comma-ridden sentences and added adjectives left and right to (try to?) add depth to the characters.
I finished this book only because I have a hard time not finishing once I’ve started but good grief it really just rambled on and on and got nowhere. The characters were all thoroughly unlikeable, especially the main character who was whiny and self absorbed. The author’s style of liberally italicizing random words was annoying; overall not a great reading experience.
This is one of those books that I really had to let soak in. Allie is a complex middle-aged woman who is dealing with many relatable issues that life throws out. Her mother in law Margaret is a night-mare. Poor Hank is stuck in the middle in a no win situation between the two woman he loves. Although I wish Hank would have stuck up for his wife, Aliie more, although Allie is equally to blame in the tension between the two women. There were some funny, ridiculous moments as the story plays out but I wouldn't say it was a laugh out loud book. It was an enjoyable read and when it ended I couldn't help but think if only the conclusion made at the end happened a lot sooner a lot of heart ache would have been spared. I received a complimentary copy of this book through It's a quick read and I recommend giving it a go. NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
For a book classified as humour this starts off with a very serious event, a woman's beloved father-in-law dying of cancer. Not only that, but she starts sharing personal thoughts with him, if not actually praying to him. She begins several chapters with, Are you there, George? It's me, Allie. This is no doubt in imitation of the famous Judy Blume title, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
The thing is that Margaret is the "mother-in-law from hell," an intrusive, controlling and critical person about whom Allie spends most of the book complaining; the older woman emerges as a more sympathetic character only toward the end, after the narrator and the reader have spent most of the book disliking her. This might have worked a little better had there been a few short chapters here and there written from Margaret's point of view.
- Potruditi se je treba, da zasovražimo stvari, zaradi katerih smo nesrečni. Recimo mrzle zime, neotesane ljudi ali svetovne probleme, ki jim ni videti konca, ter pokvarjene politike. - Točno tako se začne ta knjiga. Allie že tako ali tako nima dobrega odnosa s taščo, toda ko umre tast, se stvari še zakomplicirajo. Medtem ko je Allie tasta oboževala in se skozi knjigo z njim kdaj pa kdaj malce pogovarja, pa je tašča neznosna težava, ki se celo preseli k Allie in njeni družini. Zabavna knjiga, ki ne poskuša biti nekaj več. Ne komplicira, temveč na humoren način opisuje dogodke, zaplete in razplete Allie, ki ne ve, kako rešiti težavo s taščo. Prav zato višja ocena knjigi, ker prav pogrešam takšne nezakomplicirane, zabavne knjige, ki samo... so... tako, kot življenje je: malo težav, malo sreče, malo zapletov, a če jih vzameš na bolj zabaven način zna biti bolje. Simpatično knjiga, prav res.
“The three Ss?” I echoed softly... He nodded. “Safety, security and stability,” he said, pronouncing each word slowly and carefully. “Like a safe harbor to come home to.”
Allison's got the Mother in Law that in some ways was the stereotype of every mother in law joke you can think of: the "no one's good enough for my son" type. Allie and Hank live near enough for Margaret and George but when George dies after fighting cancer, Allie is worried about what will happen with Margaret?
Guess who came to dinner-- and never left. Margaret takes over their daughter's room and begins to try to take over their lives. Is Allie that bad a homemaker?
Author Carolyn Clark has penned quite a dramedy that will make you both laugh and cry. And she's recently written another one I am looking forward to. Highly Recommended 5/5
Allie has always had to deal with Margaret, her mother-in-law from hell, but things get a lot worse when Margaret moves in with them. This book is jawdroppingly crazy funny. Allie's tolerance of her mother-in-law is unbelievable. She has the strength of a warrior! She also has her flaws which makes her totally relatable yet admirable. Margaret is judgmental and crass. The dynamics between these two and knowing what is going on in Allie's head makes this book so enjoyable to read. I was hooked from the opening sentences of the book. Thanks to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for this e-ARC!
I downloaded this book because I needed something light-hearted and had seen that it was billed as “laugh out loud funny.” I don’t think I laughed once- not even quietly. I may have smiled the first time she secretly called the gym girl “Gwyneth.” I wasn’t sure who I wanted to hit with a baseball bat most- Margaret, Allie, or Hank! Too many plot pieces that were unrealistic, especially the wham bam wrap up. I only finished it because I hate to not finish a book and mess up my chances at meeting my reading goal this year!
I made the mistake or thinking this was a play off of "Are you there God? It's me Margaret". Although Allie does take to George in the same manner that is where the similarities end. I wanted girlfriends, instead got a mother-in-law. The story did have some laugh out loud phone parts, but was extremely predictable with no climax. Allie was a push-over, but had to be or story would have ended a lot faster.
I once read an interview of an author who stated, she never gives characters similar names or a person two names (to different people) because there is no point in confusing the reader with non-substantial information. Although not confusing to me it was freakin' annoying...
Hank - Henry (plus an editing mistake when his mom referred to him as Hank, she always called me Henry)
Rebecca - Gwyneth (Allie's internal nickname for gym receptionist because she looked like Gwyneth Paltrow)
This novel captures the essence of fraught family relationships and how they can be humorous and horrific all at the same time. For anyone who feels harassed by an in-law (or any family member), wait till you meet Margaret! Chances are you'll feel better about your own difficult relative. The long-suffering daughter-in-law Allison is herself flawed but highly sympathetic, and I was touched by her poignant letters to Margaret's recently deceased husband George, whom Allie adored.
Well! I was unable to relate to this very well. I have a kind and unobtrusive mother in law. The whole time I was thinking, snap out of it lady. Just find a ground you can relate on and stop making it all about you!!! There’s never an excuse to be so blatantly rude to your MIL! :). Also, what mother pawns off her unwelcome duties to their HS and college aged kids!