What happens when a New York suburban mom grabs a much needed getaway from her family and ends up trading places with her single, 40-something sister in LaLa land? Chaos ensues as life gets turned upside down for these sisters who took very different paths.
Our heroine, Natalie, a 44-year-old wife and mother from Long Island, complains about her life being “too much mommy, not enough me.” She gets more than she bargained for when she takes over her sister’s copy shop in Santa Monica, including an infatuation that comes close to crossing the line.
While Natalie is finding herself out West, her sister, Drey, finds life in suburbia with two kids a bit dicier than she imagined: a runaway niece, a cantankerous mother, a delicious romance and sexcapades in the most unexpected places.
Getaway Mom moves at a fast pace between the coasts through both narrative and the sisters’ e-mail confessionals.
Mixing humor and insight, the novel explores the choices women make about family and work, and how they cope—or don’t.
The Getaway Mom authors must have been listening in while I've coached hundreds of stay at home Moms who feel something is missing from their very full lives. In their main character they capture the frustrations, lack of confidence, fear and confusion women feel when they start to think about returning to work and the subsequent joy they feel when they realize they are still competent, intelligent individuals with much to contribute. A fun and insightful read for all women looking to rediscover themselves after many years caring for others.
--Kathryn Sollmann, 9 Lives for Women, 9livesforwomen.com
Getaway Mom speaks to so many women. If you are a mom who works outside the home or if you are a mom who does not, you will be drawn to the rigid roles of the mommy war. And, if you are a single woman, you may identify with the narrowly assumed role of the single successful business woman.
In other words, Getaway Mom touches some of the stereotypes women live with while showing how two sisters provide each other the opportunity to stretch beyond their rigid roles, to explore unknown aspects of themselves.
Lori Lee is a good story teller, her characters force us to consider what it means to put yourself first, to think about your needs separate from your husband, your children, your mother, your job.
SO, it’s a little something for everyone -- including a few almost scary moments, a romance, turbulent adolescence, and how to deal with a difficult parent.
--Dr. Karen Gail Lewis, family therapist and author, including Siblings in Therapy and Why Don’t You Understand: A Gender Relationship Dictionary
Getaway Mom is a great summer read--our mothers, our mothering, our relationships, our purpose as our children grow--this book brings these topics to the table as food for discussion with friends and family.
--Ruth Nemzoff, Ed.D., speaker and author, Don't Bite Your Tongue: How to Foster Rewarding Relationships with Your Adult Children
“Turning the pages of this story, turns your own journey into an experiment in living in another's world. A very readable characterization of the roles we know and the ones we envy.”
--Monica H. Schneider, Psy.D. , author, Where is My Coffee Cup?
