Mila Mendoza

Adv. English C
Ms Hunnewell
09 Feb. 2016
Whered You Go, Bernadette Book Review

An emotional, satirical read thatll have you laughing every other page, Maria Semples
Whered You Go, Bernadette tells the tale of Bernadette Fox: a hilarious woman who regardless
if you like her or not, you will never forget her. The former architectural genius now spends her
days mocking other parents at her daughter Bees private school in Seattle, and has no real
friends besides Bee. Bee receives extremely high marks in school and as a gift asks for a family
trip to Antarctica, to which her parents readily agree. After incidents between Bernadette and the
other mothers or gnats take place, tension begins to build up between she and Elgie, her
husband and legend at Microsoft Software. Bernadette begins to act abnormally; for example she
starts relying on an online Indian assistant to do the most mundane of chores. As Bernadette
trusts her assistant more and the people around her less, she becomes lost in more ways than one
(hence Whered You Go, Bernadette).
In my opinion, Semples choice to use Bee as the narrator makes the book such an
interesting read because the plot follows the collateral damage Bernadettes actions have on her
family rather than the woman herself. Seeing through Bees eyes reveals her determination,
intelligence, and maturity amongst other traits that not only explain many of her actions, but can
be compared with her parents. It also highlights the atypical mother-daughter relationship
present, which is key to the plot, and contributes to the theme of friendship. Friendship or lack

thereof is a major theme in this book, as the author repeats Bernadettes lonlieness and Bees
ability to only make one friend who her father dislikes regardless. Another theme present in the
novel is identity, and how far (physically or mentally) the characters will go once they lose it. I
highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary and/or humorous reading. Whered You
Go, Bernadette shines light on serious topics while maintaining a light and funny tone, making
for one of my personal favorite books to date.