Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough TLC Book Tour Review

 

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; Original edition (January 4, 2011)

Synopsis: Joanie’s ex-husband is having a baby with his new girlfriend. Joanie won’t be having more babies, since she’s decided never to have sex again.

But she still has her teenaged daughter Caroline to care for. And thanks to the recession, her elderly mother Ivy as well. Her daughter can’t seem to exist without texting, and her mother brags about “goggling,”-while Joanie, back in the workforce, is still trying to figure out her office computer. And how to fend off the advances of her coworker Bruce.

Joanie, Caroline, and Ivy are stuck under the same roof, and it isn’t easy. But sometimes they surprise each other-and themselves. And through their differences they learn that it is possible to undo the mistakes of the past.

My Take on the Book:  What a juicy hormone  packed book!  Put three women in one home, no man to buffer, and you get hormones of all sorts of levels flying all the time.  From laughing, fighting, ignoring, crying, yelling and on and on!  Half way into the book, I knew that I couldn't put the book down because I really needed to see where the author was taking these 3 generations.

I was skeptical that the ending would turn out for the good.  I was guessing someone was going to die, either by accident or on purpose. I was creating the ending in my head, which sadly I do all the time when I read.  I thought that a death would truly get the women that were left behind on the same hormone level for awhile.

Well I'm not going to tell you if someone died because that would giveaway entirely too much of this work of fiction!  I will tell you that if you don't read this book you will miss out on a witty, fun-filled multi-generational book that will take you to a new level on understanding of yourself and the other women that you live with or might have to live with in the future!

I recommend this book for older YA readers all the way to those who are grandmothers!  This little gem would make a great gift from any woman to another woman!  This book brings to light the relationships between mother and daughter, no matter your age, you will be able to related to it and identify your own strength and weaknesses in those relationships.  I don't have a mother but I am a mother to 3 daughters (1 tween and 2 teens).  The book stimulated me to think about our current relationship and what is to come in the future. 

If you are in a book club, this would be a great book for that, too!  I've been contemplating starting an online book club with some of my like-minded friends and this book would really be a great one to start it off.  I'm a HUGE fan of books that include a readers guide, and of course, this one does!

One last note on this book.  I love the illustration on the cover.  It is of 3 birds on a wire.  Once I read the book, it all made sense and gave me a huge chuckle! 

Check out the video of the author!  She will tell you more about the 3 main characters!

About Ruth Pennebaker
Ruth Pennebaker writes about women’s issues, families, marriage, aging, politics, and anything else that interests her at her popular The Fabulous Geezersisters blog.

She’s also the Urban Cowgirl columnist at the Texas Observer, an occasional commentator at KUT public radio in Austin, and the author of three acclaimed young adult novels. Her work has appeared in nationwide publications, including The New York Times, McCall’s, Redbook and other newspapers and magazines. She lives in Austin with her mad scientist husband, their cat, Lefty, and the accumulation of stuff from their two emerging-adult children.

 Thanks to TLC Book Tours for proving a book for me to be included in this Book Tour!