What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus
Celebrated YA novelist Sonya Sones makes a HUGE splash with her first adult novel, The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus, spinning a funny, fierce, and piercingly honest coming-of-middle-age story about falling apart and putting yourself back together. Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck meets Elizabeth Berg—boldly original and endlessly enthralling—The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus is a luminous, brilliantly told story of life, marriage, and parenthood that you will not soon forget.
"Funny, fresh, and heartbreakingly poignant, this book had me laughing and crying at the same time."
—Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries series and Insatiable
"I read The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus and I saw the light and the mirror and fell under Sonya Sones' spell."
—Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean
"Wallpaper a room with the pages of The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus. It will be your favorite place. The room you come back to again and again, year after year."
—Ilene Beckerman, author of Love, Loss, and What I Wore
"Funny, fresh, and heartbreakingly poignant, this book had me laughing and crying at the same time."
—Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries series and Insatiable
"I read The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus and I saw the light and the mirror and fell under Sonya Sones' spell."
—Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean
"Wallpaper a room with the pages of The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus. It will be your favorite place. The room you come back to again and again, year after year."
—Ilene Beckerman, author of Love, Loss, and What I Wore
421 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2011
40 people are currently reading
1101 people want to read
About the author
Sonya Sones
17 books764 followersSONYA SONES has written seven young adult novels in verse: Stop Pretending, What My Mother Doesn’t Know, What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know, One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies, To Be Perfectly Honest, Saving Red, and The Opposite of Innocent.
Her books have received many awards, including a Christopher Award, the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry, the Claudia Lewis Poetry Award, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize nomination and a Cuffie Award from Publisher’s Weekly for Best Book Title of the year. But the coolest honor she ever received was when her novel, What My Mother Doesn’t Know, landed her a spot on the American Library Association’s list of the Most Frequently Banned Authors of the 21st Century. (To find out why, see page 46.)
Sonya has also written a novel in verse for grownups—the Los Angeles Times bestseller The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus, a coming of middle-age story about learning to grow old disgracefully, which was optioned by Michelle Pfeiffer, and has contributed poems and short stories in verse to lots of anthologies.
Her books have been recognized by the American Library Association as Best Books for Young Adults and Quick Picks For Reluctant Young Readers, and have received a dozen state awards for Best Young Adult Book of the Year.
Her books have received many awards, including a Christopher Award, the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry, the Claudia Lewis Poetry Award, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize nomination and a Cuffie Award from Publisher’s Weekly for Best Book Title of the year. But the coolest honor she ever received was when her novel, What My Mother Doesn’t Know, landed her a spot on the American Library Association’s list of the Most Frequently Banned Authors of the 21st Century. (To find out why, see page 46.)
Sonya has also written a novel in verse for grownups—the Los Angeles Times bestseller The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus, a coming of middle-age story about learning to grow old disgracefully, which was optioned by Michelle Pfeiffer, and has contributed poems and short stories in verse to lots of anthologies.
Her books have been recognized by the American Library Association as Best Books for Young Adults and Quick Picks For Reluctant Young Readers, and have received a dozen state awards for Best Young Adult Book of the Year.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
April 28, 2011
My Thoughts:
This book is filled with emotions, emotions, emotions!
So many I've experienced
Some still to come.
I found myself laughing,
crying, and after reading certain pages,
coming undone.
Sones has taken her life
and laid it bare for all to see
but honestly I feel that
She's talking about ME!
Our lives play out in stages
that fly by way too fast.
After reading this book
I wish some stages would stay a bit longer,
while others I'm glad are past.
This book was a joy and I'm
glad that I experienced it
because I felt like I was listening to a friend.
When I turned the last page I was sad
because the story had come to an end.
Recommend? Absolutely...especially for those 40+! So many things that Sonya Sones writes about will hit home with you. Being a child, teen, falling in love for the first time, having children, empty nest, losing the spark within your marriage, divorce, finding love again, infidelity, aging parents, sagging body parts (very true!) and just about getting older.....read this book and I guarantee that you will find yourself laughing one minute, sighing the next, and maybe shedding a few tears!
Rating: 10/10
P.S. I've read all of Sones work and loved each one..she delivers!
December 24, 2012
When I saw The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus on a fellow blogger's top ten book list, I had to give it a try.
I am so glad I did. This book definitely goes on my top ten list too!
I don't even know how to describe the book. The whole book is written in poem form, making it a quick, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read.
It is written in first person, poetry by a 50-something woman poet. She writes about the things happening in her life….husband possibly cheating on her…mother in hospital…daughter going off to college.
If you are a woman of a certain age, or nearing a certain age, you will love this book.
Some highlights:
Her husband:
Michael has oodles
of endearing attributes.
It's just that
at the moment,
I can't seem to think
of a single one.
Her friend:
Alice is sobbing,
in that advanced hiccuppy stage,
her tears turning her carefully made-up face
into a swirling abstract painting.
Her daughter:
"Mommy! Look at me go down the slide!"
"Mommy! Watch me do a cartwheel!"
"Mommy! See how hight I can go on the swing?"
"Look, Mommy! Look at me!"
Now…my seven-year-old is seventeen.
I pass by her bedroom door and pause
to watch her in the soft lamplight,
murmuring into her cell phone.
Sensing my presence, she looks over
at me sharply and snarls, "Could you be
any more annoying if you possibly tried?
Why are you always looking at me?
I am sure that I am absolutely the target market for this book, and I loved every minute of it. Finished it in two days. I would have read it all in one setting, but I wanted to make it last.
I am so glad I did. This book definitely goes on my top ten list too!
I don't even know how to describe the book. The whole book is written in poem form, making it a quick, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read.
It is written in first person, poetry by a 50-something woman poet. She writes about the things happening in her life….husband possibly cheating on her…mother in hospital…daughter going off to college.
If you are a woman of a certain age, or nearing a certain age, you will love this book.
Some highlights:
Her husband:
Michael has oodles
of endearing attributes.
It's just that
at the moment,
I can't seem to think
of a single one.
Her friend:
Alice is sobbing,
in that advanced hiccuppy stage,
her tears turning her carefully made-up face
into a swirling abstract painting.
Her daughter:
"Mommy! Look at me go down the slide!"
"Mommy! Watch me do a cartwheel!"
"Mommy! See how hight I can go on the swing?"
"Look, Mommy! Look at me!"
Now…my seven-year-old is seventeen.
I pass by her bedroom door and pause
to watch her in the soft lamplight,
murmuring into her cell phone.
Sensing my presence, she looks over
at me sharply and snarls, "Could you be
any more annoying if you possibly tried?
Why are you always looking at me?
I am sure that I am absolutely the target market for this book, and I loved every minute of it. Finished it in two days. I would have read it all in one setting, but I wanted to make it last.
Read
December 10, 2010I started a galley of this book on the subway on the way home from work one day and was so happy I did. I finished it that same night, alternately laughing out loud and crying my eyes out, reading aloud my favorite sections while the bf watched Monday Night Football. I have never read a novel in verse before -- but this one is just wonderful.
January 11, 2011
So, I have just finished my first ADULT CHICK LIT IN VERSE. Not sure how I feel about it.
First, chick lit is not really my preferred genre and this novel explores the themes I, frankly, have not much interest in. The main character, Holly, is a 50-year old woman who is going through a tough time - her daughter is about to leave home for college, her mother is seriously sick, she thinks her husband is unfaithful, she has to face the fact that she is getting old. Even though I enjoyed many aspects of the story, can't say I can relate,
On the other hand, I really liked Sonya Sones's teen novels. Unlike the majority of YA novels in verse, they aren't about abuse and drugs, they are about being young and in love and making mistakes. You know, cute stuff with a healthy dose of humor and heartbreak. Sones' poetry is generally much better than many other novels-in-verse writer's as well, that's why I am a fan.
The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus: A Novel About Marriage, Motherhood, and Mayhem displays the same quality of writing as the author's teen writing, but I am just not sure who will be reading this book. I've read it because I know and respect the author. But who is the target audience of this adult novel-in-verse? In YA fiction this format seems to be preferred by reluctant teen readers, those who don't have an attention span strong enough to read a full 200-page book. But what place does this book have in adult literature? Maybe it will start a new genre of novels-in-verse for reluctant adult readers? I don't know. What I do know is that I would rather have read a companion to What My Mother Doesn't Know and What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know instead.
First, chick lit is not really my preferred genre and this novel explores the themes I, frankly, have not much interest in. The main character, Holly, is a 50-year old woman who is going through a tough time - her daughter is about to leave home for college, her mother is seriously sick, she thinks her husband is unfaithful, she has to face the fact that she is getting old. Even though I enjoyed many aspects of the story, can't say I can relate,
On the other hand, I really liked Sonya Sones's teen novels. Unlike the majority of YA novels in verse, they aren't about abuse and drugs, they are about being young and in love and making mistakes. You know, cute stuff with a healthy dose of humor and heartbreak. Sones' poetry is generally much better than many other novels-in-verse writer's as well, that's why I am a fan.
The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus: A Novel About Marriage, Motherhood, and Mayhem displays the same quality of writing as the author's teen writing, but I am just not sure who will be reading this book. I've read it because I know and respect the author. But who is the target audience of this adult novel-in-verse? In YA fiction this format seems to be preferred by reluctant teen readers, those who don't have an attention span strong enough to read a full 200-page book. But what place does this book have in adult literature? Maybe it will start a new genre of novels-in-verse for reluctant adult readers? I don't know. What I do know is that I would rather have read a companion to What My Mother Doesn't Know and What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know instead.
February 22, 2023
Sonya Sones frightens me.
She says what I am thinking which makes me woder if she has been visitig my head. She is covering all those quirky and not-so-enjoyable moments of being middle age. What she missed however, is that the jutting chin and hunched back provide hours of pain in the thoracic area. Besides this omission, she hits everything on the mark.
Not that I would know, of course. The ends of producing fruit of my womb was a personal and medical choice. Yeah. That's it. That's my story and I'm holding to it.
But in all seriousness, the poetry and play with words on the page to simulate waiting or providing a different design spoke volumes. Along with the blessings of becoming middle age - and she is brutally honest which only endeared me further. Most women in this age enjoy denial. Not that I would know anything about that - she writes about being in the "sandwhich" stage; caring for an elderly parent while parenting her own child who suddenly graduates from high school and goes to college. Dealing with doctors of the parent, the lonely silence of home, the questions...
I assume the protagonist in the book is a thinly veiled Sonya. Except of course, Sonya would only be 30 years old.
Some of hold our denial near and dear to our hearts, you know.
She says what I am thinking which makes me woder if she has been visitig my head. She is covering all those quirky and not-so-enjoyable moments of being middle age. What she missed however, is that the jutting chin and hunched back provide hours of pain in the thoracic area. Besides this omission, she hits everything on the mark.
Not that I would know, of course. The ends of producing fruit of my womb was a personal and medical choice. Yeah. That's it. That's my story and I'm holding to it.
But in all seriousness, the poetry and play with words on the page to simulate waiting or providing a different design spoke volumes. Along with the blessings of becoming middle age - and she is brutally honest which only endeared me further. Most women in this age enjoy denial. Not that I would know anything about that - she writes about being in the "sandwhich" stage; caring for an elderly parent while parenting her own child who suddenly graduates from high school and goes to college. Dealing with doctors of the parent, the lonely silence of home, the questions...
I assume the protagonist in the book is a thinly veiled Sonya. Except of course, Sonya would only be 30 years old.
Some of hold our denial near and dear to our hearts, you know.
June 20, 2018
The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus by Sonya Sones, is referred to as "chick lit" in poetry format by a 50ish year old woman going through a tough time. I read this in 2 hours and had my own epiphany. Life changing? Maybe not for all,but definitely an interesting voice for those in the "sandwich generation".
June 14, 2016
I think I found my new favorite author! I fell in LOVE with this book. Many times I read the comments on the outside of a book, and realize I do not agree with them at all. In this case, however, I completely agreed. I cried and laughed on the same pages! I plan to purchase this book and reread it. Even though I am not quite where the author is in her life, I can identify with so many truths in this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
September 21, 2025
I absolutely loved this. Bought it when it was on sale on Kindle just based on the title...had no idea what it was about. Was delighted when I saw it was a novel in verse because that is one of my favorite formats these days even though most of the ones I've read are middle grade...so it was very exciting to come across a novel in verse for adults.
And this is really beautiful. I was laughing and crying and ended up just feeling very content and happy at the end. I think I read this at the very perfect time for me. Maybe not a book for EVERYONE but if it sounds like something you'd be interested in then I highly recommend giving it a chance.
And this is really beautiful. I was laughing and crying and ended up just feeling very content and happy at the end. I think I read this at the very perfect time for me. Maybe not a book for EVERYONE but if it sounds like something you'd be interested in then I highly recommend giving it a chance.
Read
July 28, 2012Sonya Sones's books are well likely by my students. Her topics hit the mark and being written in verse appeals to reluctant readers making her stories a great stepping stone to other material. When I saw she had written an adult book, I headed to the library immediately.
I found out I would have to get the book through the inter-loan process so I placed my request. I got the book yesterday and finished it last night! It was a fun read and once again - hit the mark!
Holly is turning fifty! She isn't handling it well. Her body image has been dealt a cruel blow which she describes in all too familiar detail, her only child is about to leave for college, and her mother is hospitalized more than halfway across the country. While juggling all this, Holly is also struggling with the book she is writing. She is overdue on her deadline and her editor is pestering her nonstop. Everything conspires to interrupt her writing.
Her husband, who is an artist and also works at home, has a knack for disturbing her peace and quiet. He seems to be trying not to annoy her but manages to aggravate her with his mere presence more and more. One minute she is freaking out because he obviously is having an affair with one the mother of one of their daughter's classmates or the slippers he never puts away conspire to trip her in the dark. Just as she imagines "spending his insurance money," he steps up and helps her through another crisis.
In THE HUNCHBACK OF NEIMAN MARCUS Sonya Sones includes all the frightening moments of growing older as well as the joys of watching our children succeed, the appeal of pleasant memories, and the comfort we find from those who know us best. I am thrilled to know that teens who read and love her as an author now will be able to continue enjoying her work as they too grow up and grow old.
I found out I would have to get the book through the inter-loan process so I placed my request. I got the book yesterday and finished it last night! It was a fun read and once again - hit the mark!
Holly is turning fifty! She isn't handling it well. Her body image has been dealt a cruel blow which she describes in all too familiar detail, her only child is about to leave for college, and her mother is hospitalized more than halfway across the country. While juggling all this, Holly is also struggling with the book she is writing. She is overdue on her deadline and her editor is pestering her nonstop. Everything conspires to interrupt her writing.
Her husband, who is an artist and also works at home, has a knack for disturbing her peace and quiet. He seems to be trying not to annoy her but manages to aggravate her with his mere presence more and more. One minute she is freaking out because he obviously is having an affair with one the mother of one of their daughter's classmates or the slippers he never puts away conspire to trip her in the dark. Just as she imagines "spending his insurance money," he steps up and helps her through another crisis.
In THE HUNCHBACK OF NEIMAN MARCUS Sonya Sones includes all the frightening moments of growing older as well as the joys of watching our children succeed, the appeal of pleasant memories, and the comfort we find from those who know us best. I am thrilled to know that teens who read and love her as an author now will be able to continue enjoying her work as they too grow up and grow old.
April 27, 2011
When I saw Sonya Sones was writing a book for adults, I was excited, but a little worried. I love her YA work, but I wasn't sure how her verse was going to carry over to this adult theme. I stayed concerned through the first few pages, having trouble getting into the book. My worries quickly got put to rest though as I became completely caught up in Holly's life. It's hard to imagine that much of this book is not autobiographical, because it seems so personal. Important to note: I shouldn't have been able to relate so easily to Holly, since my life is so different from hers. She's 50, her daughter is leaving for college, her mother is aged and seriously ill, and she has worries about her husband's fidelity. But, that's the beauty of Sones writing- I felt like I was reading the personal thoughts of a close friend. Great job - hope she tackles adults again!
May 7, 2011
I loved this book. It's not going to change the world or make it to the NEW YORK TIMES list for 10 weeks in a row, but as a mom and a wife, it made me laugh and think about how lucky I am to have a wonderful husband (even if he does leave his dirty socks around and the kids' toothbrushes sitting in the bathroom grunge instead of in the toothbrush holder like I've asked him to do 300 times) and two beautiful boys who are absolutely gorgeous even when they are driving me crazy. It reminded me that I'm really not all that old and that even if I am, so what? I wouldn't hand it off to one of my guys friends and expect them to make it through it and see what I saw, but many of my girlfriends just may be getting a copy for Christmas.
January 2, 2013
As reviewed on my blog http://dineanddish.net/2013/01/connec...
The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus by Sonya Sones is another book I found on Lesley’s top books of 2012 list, and I loved it! To be honest with you, when I found out the entire book was written in poem format, I wasn’t sure that I’d like it, but I did. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and more often than not it made me do the ugly cry. If you are a woman and / or a mother, you will love this honest portrayal of aging, marriage and parenting. I gave The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus 4 stars on Goodreads.
The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus by Sonya Sones is another book I found on Lesley’s top books of 2012 list, and I loved it! To be honest with you, when I found out the entire book was written in poem format, I wasn’t sure that I’d like it, but I did. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and more often than not it made me do the ugly cry. If you are a woman and / or a mother, you will love this honest portrayal of aging, marriage and parenting. I gave The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus 4 stars on Goodreads.
July 10, 2016
Although I am yearsss away from my 50th and my 9th grader son is unlikely to move away for college, marriage is only coming up to 2 decades - I can easily relate to Holly's wishes, worries and thoughts as she vacillates from being a mom, daughter and wife.
A hilarious, engaging mommy-lit I am happy to have discovered. The prose presentation adds a light vibe as you read. Dog-eared a few endearing pages which I may use when I get to cross the bridge. Next. :)
A hilarious, engaging mommy-lit I am happy to have discovered. The prose presentation adds a light vibe as you read. Dog-eared a few endearing pages which I may use when I get to cross the bridge. Next. :)
January 28, 2015
I can't begin to say how much I love this book so far. Maybe it's because it resonates a lot with me since I'm also approaching 50, but I know it's more than that. The language is also beautiful and funny. AND, very important to me, she actually used the proper "gull" instead of the wrong "seagull"!!!! Yay for Sonya!
September 30, 2014
I liked this book and would give it a 3.5 rating. I enjoyed reading the poetic format - very clever! However, there was some unnecessary vocabulary that I just don't appreciate reading. I could relate to many of her musings, including the emptiness associated with sending a daughter off to college, the "joys" of menopause, and the desire to get some "uplifting" facial work! Hooray for 50+!
December 1, 2012
Actual rating: 4.5/5
Full review here.
Full review here.
July 8, 2018
Because The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus was featured neither in YA lists nor my public library, it mostly escaped my awareness until now. Which is probably for the best—I am nowhere near the age of the book’s narrator but, considering how the story details the difficulty of time passing and growing older, it’s best appreciated with more age and experience than that of a high schooler.
I think Sones’s best books are the ones that are less plot-driven and more of a collection of individual moments that come together to showcase a slow, steady evolution—this is why Stop Pretending and What My Mother Doesn’t Know are my favorites of her works, and the more plot-driven Saving Red and To Be Perfectly Honest are much weaker. The poems in The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus exist more for the sake of making each moment count rather than covering the narrative ground necessary to drive the plot, and since that makes for a way more emotionally engaging experience, I completely prefer that decision.
This is especially pleasing because Sones, free from the demands of a heavier plot (and also the immature narrators of her most recent works), really gets to focus on the power of each poem and showcase her skills. And what skills they are—Sones was the first free verse author I ever encountered, way back when I was in middle school, and to this day she remains the best free verse author I’ve ever read. Even her “freer” free verse has a rhythm and structure to it that makes the poems breathe and sing in a way other than most verse authors, who just feel like they’re hitting the “enter” button (Ellen Hopkins). Sones’s line breaks are spaced and chosen for maximum emotional effect. There are some extremely relatable and beautiful poems in here, particularly surrounding the narrator’s daughter leaving for college, and even the few poems that do exist largely to connect Point A and Point B are so well-worded and arranged that they feel like much more than the sum of their parts. The only questionable choice The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus makes is its decision to recycle two poems from Sones’s What My Mother Doesn’t Know—they’re fine poems but, as someone familiar with them in the other context, I found it distracting and didn’t understand why they couldn’t have just been new pieces.
It’s been a while since I’ve read such a successful verse novel, and probably longer still since I’ve read something I liked this much from Sones (this was published back in 2011, but it’s the final book of hers I’ve read), so I have practically no complaints about The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus. It doesn’t have quite the delicacy and resonance of What My Mother Doesn’t Know and maybe not even that of Stop Pretending, but it’s sweet, relatable, and crafted in a way that puts it above similar stories I’ve read in prose.
3.5 stars.
I think Sones’s best books are the ones that are less plot-driven and more of a collection of individual moments that come together to showcase a slow, steady evolution—this is why Stop Pretending and What My Mother Doesn’t Know are my favorites of her works, and the more plot-driven Saving Red and To Be Perfectly Honest are much weaker. The poems in The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus exist more for the sake of making each moment count rather than covering the narrative ground necessary to drive the plot, and since that makes for a way more emotionally engaging experience, I completely prefer that decision.
This is especially pleasing because Sones, free from the demands of a heavier plot (and also the immature narrators of her most recent works), really gets to focus on the power of each poem and showcase her skills. And what skills they are—Sones was the first free verse author I ever encountered, way back when I was in middle school, and to this day she remains the best free verse author I’ve ever read. Even her “freer” free verse has a rhythm and structure to it that makes the poems breathe and sing in a way other than most verse authors, who just feel like they’re hitting the “enter” button (Ellen Hopkins). Sones’s line breaks are spaced and chosen for maximum emotional effect. There are some extremely relatable and beautiful poems in here, particularly surrounding the narrator’s daughter leaving for college, and even the few poems that do exist largely to connect Point A and Point B are so well-worded and arranged that they feel like much more than the sum of their parts. The only questionable choice The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus makes is its decision to recycle two poems from Sones’s What My Mother Doesn’t Know—they’re fine poems but, as someone familiar with them in the other context, I found it distracting and didn’t understand why they couldn’t have just been new pieces.
It’s been a while since I’ve read such a successful verse novel, and probably longer still since I’ve read something I liked this much from Sones (this was published back in 2011, but it’s the final book of hers I’ve read), so I have practically no complaints about The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus. It doesn’t have quite the delicacy and resonance of What My Mother Doesn’t Know and maybe not even that of Stop Pretending, but it’s sweet, relatable, and crafted in a way that puts it above similar stories I’ve read in prose.
3.5 stars.
December 30, 2018
This book is so lovely because it is so relatable if you happen to be around 50 on the verge of becoming empty nest. Even if you are past the oncoming empty nest and are fully in it, it is so helpful for someone to place into words what is in your heart, mind and soul. It is a delightful read, very quick, all written in verse. I became attached to the author from the first poem and loved going along for the ride of the year before her daughter leaves for college. Life gets complicated but Sonya Sones boils it down to the most raw feelings and emotions making a delicious soup of laughter and tears seasoned with coping with change. I highly recommend this book, it is like savoring a delicious lunch with your best friend.
July 20, 2017
Sonya Sones' novel in free verse poetry about the madness and mayhem of being in midlife is spot on. Ms. Sones can now "drop the mike" and walk away! Until a woman reaches her fifties she has no idea what is in store. It seems the responsibilities increase instead of lesson as we help our children advance into adulthood and help our parents with their failing minds and bodies all while figuring out how to handle our own changes.
It felt good to have someone share these thoughts and feelings. More than once I found myself sating out loud, "You know it, sister!"
Thanks to Ms. Sones I have learned how to chuckle now and again through this stage of life!
It felt good to have someone share these thoughts and feelings. More than once I found myself sating out loud, "You know it, sister!"
Thanks to Ms. Sones I have learned how to chuckle now and again through this stage of life!
May 13, 2018
funny. contains lots of true feelings about marriage, sending your daughter away to college and having an ailing mother, a true mid-life trifecta of worries and happiness. Each chapter reads like a poem so it took me a few chapters to just read it like a regular book but I finished it quickly because I would read several chapters and I would not lose my place.
May 24, 2018
Really liked this book which was written in verse. I was amazed that the author was able to make such cogent thoughts while writing in this style. It was a story within a work of art. It was funny, sad, and relatable. It was a fast read and every verse connected to the next one. I’m not a poetry buff and almost didn’t read it because of that style. So glad I did.
July 15, 2022
So I'm probably too young to be able to relate to this book about turning fifty and kids going off to college, but man did I relate to a lot of it! I definitely teared up at one point and laughed out loud several times. I was interested to see how I'd like a book written in verse, but it was such an easy read and may be my favorite new way to read first person. Really enjoyed it! First person.
May 15, 2023
Everyone mom in the sandwich generation should read this book. I’m not a big poetry reader so I wasn’t sure I would like this book but it really resonated me. Going through menopause while dealing with kids leaving the nest and aging parents needing help with health issues is a common place and the author makes you laugh and cry as she walks it with you. I really liked it.
March 25, 2025
This was a good quick beach vacay read. Not real deep but had some funny moments. Nothing overly bad or exciting happened no plot twists just kinda a nice comfy average day average human read haha. It was a nice book to read coming off a long series I just read to have something light and airy to recalibrate.
May 5, 2017
There should be an extra *star* rating if it makes you weep with laughter and sob with heartache. EVERY mum who knows how chilly the nest gets when the chicks have gone, will feel less alone reading this. Kleenex at the ready, ladies :)
October 19, 2018
My first novel in verse. So, that was more enjoyable than I first thought it would be. I am almost exactly the same stage of life as the main character: on the edge of 50 and my oldest (her only) heading off to college, aging parents, marriage...
March 1, 2019
Cute storyline, although it isn’t anything special. But what I loved most about this is the format. The poetry style made this book an absolute breeze to get through. Finished it in about 2.5-3 hours.
May 13, 2019
I’m closer to 3.5 stars on this and probably because I am not quite at the age for this book to really hit home ❤️ In about 10 years I would probably cry on and off through the whole book as I thought about Motherhood and my children and how time flies by ever so quickly ❤️
September 4, 2019
Yes! She gets it!
A sweet, sappy, smart novel about the changes in your life as your children move on, your parents grow older and you....alas, get older too. Empty nesting, sandwich generation, snarky inner thoughts....I could so relate!
A sweet, sappy, smart novel about the changes in your life as your children move on, your parents grow older and you....alas, get older too. Empty nesting, sandwich generation, snarky inner thoughts....I could so relate!
June 28, 2017
I love it, and could relate to the story in some parts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews