GAP YEAR by Sarah Bird

I absolutely adored Sarah Bird's THE BOYFRIEND SCHOOL which, I believe was made into an amazing movie called DON'T TELL HER IT'S ME starring Steve Gutenberg and Jami Gertz. I know it was not a good movie, but I loved it so and when I read the book and found out it was GOOD good I was enraptured. But then I had a baby and forgot about Sarah Bird until this week.

I was reading THE GAP YEAR and absolutely loved it and am thrilled to learn that I have 5 more Sarah Birds just waiting for me! I read ALAMO HOUSE: WOMEN WITHOUT MEN, MEN WITHOUT BRAINS right after BOYFRIEND SCHOOL and it was funny. But the rest came out after I stopped paying attention.

So GAP YEAR is Cam writing in 2010 about trying to get her distant, disobedient daughter, Aubrey ready to go to college and Aubrey writing in 2009 about falling in love under the eye of her smothering mother, Cam. The format works beautifully and I kept pulling out and trying to figure out who was the bad guy in each situation and the magic is that everyone and no one is at fault.

With my oldest child graduating and leaving home, the timing is perfect. I am very curious if this book would have blown me over as much if I wasn't a walking (minor) wound of half-empty nest. I think so. It was really beautiful with lots of surprises, organic twists and beautifully drawn characters.

What a splendid book!