Stevie‘s review of I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman
Women’s Humorous Fiction published by Berkley 16 Jun 20
Although University and College Open Days for prospective students and their parents are a pretty big thing in the UK – at least in more normal times – I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a company organising a tour to take in as many of them as possible for a large group of prospects. Obviously, colleges in the US are more widely spaced out, so it seems logical that this type of experience would be more common over there. Successful West Coast lawyer and single mother Jessica Burnstein has booked to go on one such tour – of East Coast colleges – with her daughter Emily, hoping to meet up with various old friends and family members along the way. Emily is less than thrilled with the idea, feeling unsure of whether she wants to go to college and also convinced that her mother pays more attention to her job and the younger women in her firm than she ever does to Emily. On the other hand, Emily does need to get away from her school for a couple of weeks, due to a scandal that’s about to break.
We don’t find out the nature of the scandal for a long time, although many hints are dropped about it involving Emily and a number of her classmates, and that it may cause major rifts in a number of her friendships. There are new friends to be made on the tour, however, as well as old enemies to face. The most notable of the former are the owner of a construction company and his son, while the latter take the form of a past classmate of Emily, along with her mother. The tour is led by another notable character, an overly perky guide, who tries hard to organise social events for her charges with varying degrees of success.
While Emily worries about the situation at school, Jessica is equally concerned about matters at work, where she has handed in her notice in protest at her two mentees not receiving the advancement they deserve, while less accomplished men are being promoted ahead of them. Fortunately for Jessica – and much to the displeasure of Emily, who was looking forward to spending time with her undistracted mother – there are career opportunities to be found at various stops on the tour.
As the tour continues, nerves and tempers get frayed by the various secrets people are keeping, but everyone eventually develops a deeper understanding of each other and of their own future directions in life. While I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the author’s previous novel, the character interactions were highly engaging, and it was interesting to see a different snapshot of US life.
Grade: B
Summary:
Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.
For Emily, it’s a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she’s sure she even wants to go to college, but let’s ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?
For Jessica, it’s a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn’t even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn’t sure she likes herself.
Together with a dozen strangers–and two familiar enemies–Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.
Read an excerpt.
