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Goodbye, Vitamin

by Rachel Khong (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: ebook, netgalley-arcs, currently-reading, book-group

read in September 2017

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Deb said: " Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for providing me an advanced ecopy of the book. This review is solely my opinion.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
To this baby boomer reviewer, this book was like Still Alice (Lisa Genova) except instead of following the Alz Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for providing me an advanced ecopy of the book. This review is solely my opinion.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
To this baby boomer reviewer, this book was like Still Alice (Lisa Genova) except instead of following the Alzheimer's patient, it was narrated by the millennial daughter whose dad has Alzheimer’s. As Narrator Ruth says, “’I’m selfish,’ I started to say. I stopped, realize that saying so was, itself, pretty selfish.” (This reviewer did not just say all millennials are selfish. I’m just pointing out that the narrator might need to continue her life journey to a place of continuing personal growth ; )
The writing is conversational in style, like diary entries. Once in a while it just didn’t work. “The smell of ironing is a smell I love. The iron travels down the sleeve, like a ship on a shining river.” Just awkward, but this is the exception. The casual style annoyed me at first, but I grew used to it and felt it helped express the frustrations of Ruth and give insights into her character.
There are delightful touches of wry humor peppered throughout Goodbye, Vitamin. Ruth says she is in a similar boat to her best friend – the unmarried and careerless boat. “Which is more like a canoe.” Running into an old high school friend, Ruth writes, “She has children now. They share names with hurricanes – I don’t know if it is intentional or what. ‘This is Katrina and this is Sandy,’ she introduces. The children are four and eight, and even so young, their expressions look overcast.”
The story moves forward more at the midway point, uncovering previously hidden family dynamics. May 21st records a sad conversation between mom and daughter. Mom asks why Ruth didn’t visit more. Ruth thinks, “I didn’t want my fears confirmed. It was less terrifying this way: not helping you, not saving you, just leaving you all alone.” Mom quietly says she didn’t think this was how having a daughter would be. “She removes her gloves and hands them to me, all without saying a word. ‘It’s fine,’ she says, quietly, leaving me to finish the dishes.” Khong says So much by saying so little.
Ruth’s dad had kept a notebook about the funny/ cutesy things she said or did as she was growing up. Professor dad describes his parenting joy, “You are so happy to be learning to read. Today I thought of what I would give to have time just stop here. You’re out of my league. I’m waiting for the day you’ re going to leave me. I’d give: All the money I’ve got...That special silver dollar your grandfather gave me and said would be worth $3oo,000 by the time you were in college. Any of it, all of it, just to keep you here.” Ruth’s notebook expresses her feelings and tells the family story in her single, 30-something trying to find her way, way. After she reads the note dad wrote 20+ years ago, Ruth seems to mellow. She records the goofy things dad does with more kindness.

On Goodreads someone asked if this book is for a 12 year old. I suppose they know all those swear words already, they are not used excessively, but when gd combines with f and s and bs in one sentence, that’s a lot even for me. (Ruth was expressing strong emotions about her exboyfriend.) Drinking excessively is also a small part of the narrative – and references to cheating. Unfortunately, nothing that’s not on TV during prime time. ...more "

May 16, 2024 12:56PM · see review