The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert Book Review

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert Book Review

The lowdown from Goodreads

Publication Date May 15th, 2018

Three generations. Seven days. One big secret. The author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake unfolds a mother-daughter story told by three women whose time to reckon with a life-altering secret is running out.

Gina Zoberski wants to make it through one day without her fastidious mother, Lorraine, cataloging all her faults, and her sullen teenage daughter, May, snubbing her. Too bad there’s no chance of that. Her relentlessly sunny disposition annoys them both, no matter how hard she tries. Instead, Gina finds order and comfort in obsessive list-making and her work at Grilled G’s, the gourmet grilled cheese food truck built by her late husband.

But when Lorraine suffers a sudden stroke, Gina stumbles upon a family secret Lorraine’s kept hidden for forty years. In the face of her mother’s failing health and her daughter’s rebellion, this optimist might find that piecing together the truth is the push she needs to let go…

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert Book Review

I am a huge fan of Amy E. Reichert. Reading The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is like slipping back into my favorite shoes. No matter where I’m going, the walk is more enjoyable.

What’s great about being familiar with an author’s work is I have an idea where Amy will take me. See, with Amy, there’s always food. To me, food is love & I get that from Amy’s writing. Featured in The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is a grilled cheese food truck & dammit if I don’t want some grilled cheese – now!

Mother-Daughter Relationships

The central theme of The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is mother/daughter relationships. I really love how Amy features three generations of mother/daughter bonding & all the layered & interwoven history shared between these 3 women. There’s a part in the book where Gina finds behavior too similar to her mother, Lorraine. I’ve been there finding myself saying the same phrases with the same twang. I cringe a bit at these moments, but I also laugh. No matter how we try, our mothers are a part of us all.

There are a few pieces of The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go that really clenched my heart. Growing up, my mom told me that in my family when a woman is nearing the end of her life, the next generation gathers with her. At this time, a woman passes any secrets & stories she feels necessary to carry on into the next generation. The women are the keepers of knowledge. Once you read the book, you will know exactly what part I’m talking about & why it hit so close to home for me.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book. Knowing Amy’s work, I knew The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go would be heartfelt, enjoyable & feature some delicious food & memorable relationships. I didn’t expect it to grab my heart & make me rethink a few things with my own mother, but it did. I’m grateful to Amy for that.

Check out my other reviews for Amy E. Reichert’s books; The Simplicity of Cider, Luck, Love & Lemon Pie & The Coincidence of Coconut Cake.

Special thanks to Amy E. Reichert, Gallery Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

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About the Author: Amy Reichert

Amy E. Reichert, author of THE COINCIDENCE OF COCONUT CAKE, LUCK, LOVE & LEMON PIE, and THE SIMPLICITY OF CIDER, loves to write stories that end well with characters you’d invite to dinner. A wife, mom, amateur chef, Fix-It Mistress, and cider enthusiast, she earned her MA in English Literature and serves on her local library’s board of directors.