Book Review: Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers
This is Alice’s first published book and it explores the intimate bonds a mother and daughter share. It walks the reader through the hardships of broken hearts, divorced parents, and one’s own growth. Ultimately, the mother-daughter relationship is challenged when a health crisis emerges, forcing the two to come to terms with reality, and what is really important in life. Kuipers tells the entire story through notes which the mother leaves for her daughter on the refrigerator door, and vice versa. In this sense, it does not take the form of a traditional fiction novel, but it allows the reader to relate to the sequence of events on a very real level.
Being a fiction lover and the eldest of three, this book hit home. Teenage girls and young adults, can relate to this moving story, because it touches on very real problems and situations a young girl comes across in her early years. Boyfriends come and go, grades begin to falter, and parents separate. On the other side of the spectrum, the mothers wonder what their daughters are really doing on a Friday night. These worries shine through in
the notes left by both the mother and daughter in the book. However, when a crisis confronts the family, the reader sees a shift in behavior. This particular moment is touching on an all too realistic level. Sometimes it takes a serious tragedy to understand what is important in life. In that regard, Kuipers takes petty teenage issues, along side intense grown-up situations, and places the two together, creating a memorable novel about coming of age and family ties.
At first glance, a novel written in notes may not seem worth the read. However, if you have ever had a mother, or you have ever been a daughter, the book is a must read. And those of us who have experienced a serious family crisis, this book will stay with you for a long time. The characters are real, the emotions are real, and the problems are very real too.
Review written by Caitlyn Pilkington, © 2007 butyoudontlooksick.com
Book Author: Alice Kuipers
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Harper (August 28, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061370495
Comments
Back in the late 70s, My Mother and I shared a journal. We lived in the same building, yet because of schedule complications, our paths rarely crossed. We missed each other, and used this journal as a way to keep each other updated on what we were doing, and reading, and thinking. Sh e is dead lo these 12 years and I prize it more than gold. It's beautiful.
Posted by: Saagaadaa | December 28, 2007 12:55 PM