The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go

March 15, 2018

This heartfelt story about mothers and daughters is told through the experiences of three women. Gina is a young widow trying her best to raise her teenage daughter after their terrible loss two years earlier. She keeps her life balanced with lots of to-do lists and by serving comforting grilled cheese sandwiches from her food truck, Grilled G's. Gina never felt close to her own socialite mother Lorraine and strives to be the perfect mother to 14-year-old May. Then Lorraine suffers a stroke at the same time that May embarks on a bit of teenage rebellion. While dealing with her critical mother and moody daughter, Gina uncovers a secret that causes her to reexamine her relationship with Lorraine. This moment of crisis could allow the three generations to come together as mothers, daughters, and perhaps even friends. VERDICT Reichert (The Coincidence of Coconut Cake) has created wonderful true-to-life characters in a novel of secrets and regrets, loss and hope. This will appeal to fans of women's fiction and stories of mothers and daughters.--Catherine Coyne, Mansfield P.L., MA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
Three generations of women cope with a grandmother's stroke and a big family secret.Recent widow Gina Zoberski is just trying to get through each day, working at the grilled-cheese food truck built by her late husband and taking care of her brooding teenage daughter, May. When her always-disapproving mother, Lorraine, has a serious stroke, Gina's sister, Victoria, comes into town, and the two of them attempt to sort out their mother's affairs. That's when Gina finds a second copy of her birth certificate--one that has the name of a man she's never heard of instead of the man she thought was her father. With Lorraine unable to communicate, Gina and Victoria attempt to learn about the past their status-obsessed mother never shared with them. Through flashbacks, readers see Lorraine fall in love with Gina's father and Gina fall in love with her late husband. Reichert (The Simplicity of Cider, 2017, etc.) also explores May's point of view as she tries to cope with her grief and her first crush. Although the multiple points of view can sometimes slow the pace (and teenage May sometimes comes across as a little too naïve), each woman has a distinct voice that adds something to the story. Lorraine is more than just a critical mother--she's also a woman who was once truly in love and was never able to grieve properly. Although May appears surly, she really craves a connection with her mother. And Gina, despite her optimistic outlook, is still mourning and unsure how to start the next chapter of her life. Readers will relate to the family's struggles and develop an appetite for grilled cheese, as well.A delicious read full of family and food.

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April 15, 2018
Gina Zoberski is the owner of Grilled G's food truck, a widow, mom to teenaged May, and an avid list maker. Grilled G's was her late husband's gift to her, and working the gourmet truck brings her comfort as she mourns, attempts to parent her moody teen, and deals with her overly critical mother, Lorraine. When Lorraine suffers a stroke, paralyzing half her body and affecting her speech, Gina and her sister learn family secrets that should have stayed buried, all with Lorraine barely saying a word. Reichert (The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, 2015) is back with a story about a major lifelong betrayal, family dynamics, and, lastly, hope. With even pacing, the novel seamlessly moves between the present and the past as Lorraine, Gina, and May remember those they have lost, revealing secrets along the way. Readers will embrace the realistic characters, whose moments of anger, regret, guilt, and understanding delicately illustrate the process of letting go. Perfect for library collections where family-based women's fiction is popular.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)