Oh, Abbi Waxman, I'd love to have you as my neighbor, especially since I really don't know many of mine! Other People’s Houses is the second book I've read by this author and while it is somewhat different than her previous book, The Garden of Small Beginnings, it was written with the same truthful, snarky (maybe even snarkier?) observations of life. Frances narrates and leads us through events on her street, since she seems to be the one everyone turns to for help, so much so that she drives the kids from three other families, in addition to her own, to three different schools every day! This woman deserves a medal!
While I couldn't relate on the level of carpooling with the neighborhood kids and knowing what was going on behind the family's doors - and for that I am grateful - I could relate to being at that point in a marriage where maybe you don't feel appreciated as much as you used to. The fact of the matter is that while we may look similar on the outside, we are all waging our own personal battles and no one else knows what we're going through.
Did this book give me any deep answers to the meaning of life? No, but it reassured me that I am not alone in any of my daily struggles. This book was a great distraction from real life, but I need to go deal with my laundry now. - Rosanna (Administration)