Claire and her mother are running out of time, but they don't know it. Not yet. Claire is wrapped up with the difficulties of her bourgeoning adulthood—boys, school, friends, identity; Claire's mother, a single mom, is rushed off her feet both at work and at home. They rarely find themselves in the same room at the same time, and it often seems that the only thing they can count on are notes to each other on the refrigerator door. When home is threatened by a crisis, their relationship experiences a momentous change. Forced to reevaluate the delicate balance between their personal lives and their bond as mother and daughter, Claire and her mother find new love and devotion for one another deeper than anything they had ever imagined.
Heartfelt, touching, and unforgettable, Life on the Refrigerator Door is a glimpse into the lives of mothers and daughters everywhere. In this deeply touching novel told through a series of notes written from a loving mother and her devoted fifteen-year-old daughter, debut author Alice Kuipers deftly captures the impenetrable fabric that connects mothers and daughters throughout the world. Moving and rich with emotion, Life on the Refrigerator Door delivers universal lessons about love in a wonderfully simple and poignant narrative.
I have never read a book less deserving of being published. Shallow, predictable, dull. I read this in the bookstore (took me all of 20 minutes) and even though there is often only one sentence on a page, I found myself skipping ahead.
The relationship between the daughter and mother is empty, pathetic and I guess the writing does mirror that accurately. As the mother of a 15 year old daughter myself, I guess I wanted something (anything!!) more. I think I'll go read "The Runaway Bunny" now for some depth. Kudos to the author for duping a publisher and the public with this tripe.
Claire and her Doctor/Mother live their relationship out in a series of notes left on the refrigerator door over a one year span. Then low and behold, a crisis hits and we see how shallow a teen daughter can be and how when communication between parent and child breaks down, there is always the refrigerator door. This small quick read book left me expecting that there should have been more. Wish there was.
A real page-turner. Especially when there's only one sentence on a page. This is why the book is cheaper than other hardbacks of the same size.
Some thoughts about it:
-- A modern drama written on a typical medium of our time, the note.
-- The story unfolds in the reader.
-- This fragmentary input forms a continuum in the reader.
-- It has a rhythm and theme you can easily connect to.
-- Actually, you could also use the text to teach English as a foreign language.
-- A modern version of the epistolary.
