Tolog Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? 
by Maria Semple
reviewed by Mila Mendoza

An emotional, satirical read that’ll have you laughing every other page, Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette tells the tale of Bernadette Fox: a hilarious woman who regardless if you like her or not, you will never forget her. The former architectural genius now spends her days mocking other parents at her daughter Bee’s private school in Seattle, and has no real friends besides Bee. Bee receives extremely high marks in school and as a gift asks for a family trip to Antarctica, to which her parents readily agree. After incidents between Bernadette and the other mothers or “gnats” take place, tension begins to build up between she and Elgie, her husband and legend at Microsoft Software. Bernadette begins to act abnormally; for example she starts relying on an online Indian assistant to do the most mundane of chores. As Bernadette trusts her assistant more and the people around her less, she becomes lost in more ways than one (hence Where’d You Go, Bernadette). 

In my opinion, Semple’s choice to use Bee as the narrator makes the book such an interesting read because the plot follows the collateral damage Bernadette’s actions have on her family rather than the woman herself. Seeing through Bee’s eyes reveals her determination, intelligence, and maturity amongst other traits that not only explain many of her actions, but can be compared with her parents. It also highlights the atypical mother-daughter relationship present, which is key to the plot, and contributes to the theme of friendship. Friendship or lack thereof is a major theme in this book, as the author repeats Bernadette’s lonlieness and Bee’s ability to only make one friend who her father dislikes regardless. Another theme present in the novel is identity, and how far (physically or mentally) the characters will go once they lose it. I highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary and/or humorous reading. Where’d You Go, Bernadette shines light on serious topics while maintaining a light and funny tone, making for one of my personal favorite books to date.