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Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Spotlight of Are We There Yet by Kathleen West


 

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA

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ARE WE THERE YET?
BY KATHLEEN WEST
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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF STEPHANIE FELTY OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE.
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From the author of Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes, Kathleen West, comes ARE WE THERE YET? (Berkley Hardcover; March 16, 2021), a new novel about competitive parenting and the teenage kids stuck in the middle.
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PRAISE FOR ARE WE THERE YET:
 
Soulful and entertaining, this offers plenty of insight on the space children need to make their own mistakes.”Publishers Weekly

“With situations familiar to parents anticipating, in the midst of, or just happy to be past their kids' teenage years, Are We There Yet? brings grace, wit, and warmth to a challenging time. Fans of Emily Adrian and A. H. Kim will find this compelling and relatable.”Booklist

“…brilliantly portrays the angst, the pain, and the triumph of modern day parenting…Are We There Yet? perfectly captures the friendships we form when our children are little, and the often painful ways they shift and change as our kids grow up and into their own identities. I fell head-first into this novel and I didn’t want to leave.”—Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

“A sparkling, page-turning take on modern motherhood that reminds us, in the most entertaining way possible, that the illusion of control can be blinding. A family drama full of surprises and plenty of heart, Are We There Yet? will give you all the feels. I loved it.”—Jamie Brenner, author of The Forever Summer and Blush

“With crisp prose, a compelling cast of characters, and a storyline that will immediately strike a chord with parents (as well as anyone who’s spent time around tweens and teens), Are We There Yet? hits all the right notes…at once a clear-eyed portrait of the challenges of our fast-paced, technology-obsessed society and a heartfelt and empathetic examination of motherhood. Highly recommended.”—Camille Pagán, bestselling author of This Won’t End Well

“With a wide cast of perfectly drawn characters, Are We There Yet? is a sharp social commentary wrapped in an engrossing family drama. West brings her trademark wit to a romp through the savage hallways and phones of junior high students. Where are the (well-meaning but neurotic) adults, you ask? Behaving just as badly as their tweens. I could feel my hair graying with each new blunder—to anyone raising a teenager in the age of social media, I salute you.”Stephanie Wrobel, USA Today bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold

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ABOUT THE ARE WE THERE YET:

Alice Sullivan, a high-achieving architect and mom of two, is used to being in control. Until life rips the blueprints right out of her hands. 

While she's always strived for a picture perfect life, Alice's foundation is rocked when she discovers her daughter is failing reading at school, and worse, her son is a bully, having humiliated a classmate on stage in front of 500 of their peers. Alice feels desperate to make things right, but when she turns to her friends for support, she discovers her own social standing has eroded now that she's one of "those moms" who can't control her kids.

As she tries to figure out where she went wrong, her curated life unravels further. She faces setbacks with a key client, her husband travels incessantly for business, and her mother decides to unload a family secret she's kept for more than thirty years--one that shifts Alice's entire perception of herself.

Despite her attempts to keep things under control, Alice can no longer rely on a spotless kitchen and an inventive mudroom design to make her feel better. She's been trying to beat the competition, measuring her success and happiness by everyone else's standards. Alice finds help, comfort, and strength from unexpected places, once she realizes that no one's got it all together, and that maybe that's okay.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Photo Credit:  Ann Marie Photography

Kathleen West is a veteran middle and high-school teacher. She graduated with a degree in English from Macalester College and holds a Master's degree in literacy education from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Minneapolis with her hilarious husband, two sporty sons, and very bad goldendoodle.

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