Glitter and Glue

Summary:

When Kelly Corrigan was in high school, her mother neatly summarized the family dynamic as “Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.” This meant nothing to Kelly, who left childhood sure that her mom—with her inviolable commandments and proud stoicism—would be nothing more than background chatter for the rest of Kelly’s life, which she was carefully orienting toward adventure. After college, armed with a backpack, her personal mission statement, and a wad of traveler’s checks, she took off for Australia to see things and do things and Become Interesting.

But it didn’t turn out the way she pictured it. In a matter of months, her savings shot, she had a choice: get a job or go home. That’s how Kelly met John Tanner, a newly widowed father of two looking for a live-in nanny. They chatted for an hour, discussed timing and pay, and a week later, Kelly moved in. And there, in that house in a suburb north of Sydney, 10,000 miles from the house where she was raised, her mother’s voice was suddenly everywhere, nudging and advising, cautioning and directing, escorting her through a terrain as foreign as any she had ever trekked. Every day she spent with the Tanner kids was a day spent reconsidering her relationship with her mother, turning it over in her hands like a shell, straining to hear whatever messages might be trapped in its spiral.

This is a book about the difference between travel and life experience, stepping out and stepping up, fathers and mothers. But mostly it’s about who you admire and why, and how that changes over time. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

This is a classic coming of age story that I had seen as highly recommended and decided it was time to finally pick up.  The book is less about Kelly and a lot more around her relationship with her mother and growing into the role of being a care-giver herself.  Kelly’s relationship developing overtime with the kids trying to figure out their new normal was surprisingly intriguing as well. 

I think I’d have to say that there’s nothing life-changing in this book and it didn’t have anything that will necessarily change my thinking, but it did make me think about my mom and give her an extra call this week!  Worth picking up for a light and sometimes funny read despite the setup of the story. I’ll certainly pick up another by Corrigan.

Rating: 3 stars!

Who should read it? Anyone who needs a little extra appreciation for their family!