I had this on my "to-read" because it was recommended a while back. In the meantime, I read The Doctor's Daughter and was not very impressed so my expectations had dropped. This was still worse that I expected.It's one of those books that as I read, I see the author rubbing her hands together and giggling thinking things like, "ohh...and then I'll have them do this." without actually questioning if any of it is plausible or interesting.Set in the early 80s, Laura has inherited Robin (her 13 year old step daughter) and decides to sell everything and trek across country to move to CA. Laura (the mousey-type) does not apply for jobs or try to establish anything in CA first. She simply ups and goes, figuring she'd drop Robin in IA with her grandparents first. Even though her father has not spoken to his family in years and neither of them have met anyone in IA they are just gonna head out.Along the way, they meet a hitchhiker with whom Laura has an affair (and then even more improbably bump into later...although Wolitzer acknowledges this improbability) and they attend a wedding (and lucky for everyone Robin WHOM THEY HAVE JUST MET gets to be in the wedding!). So yea, these are my least favorite moments and I've ruined the book for anyone else because the rest of it is just driving around and complaining about how boring it is to drive from Newark to CA. That's okay, you don't need to read the book anyway.On top of all of it, the writing is overwrought and masturbatory: "Very soon she remembered Wright, who had been taken by surprise like that, actually ambushed by death, and was even more forsaken that she the moment his spirit rose like a turncoat from his body." BLECHOverall it is not worth the time (and it is short read that took around 24 hours) or bother. It is trite, simplified, and ultimately kind of boring.
