ππππ
YOU AND ME AND US
Alison Hammer
William Morrow Paperbacks
April 7, 2020
432 pages
This book has all the elements of a corny, sappy tear-jerker. A couple, Tommy and Alexis, and their 14 year old daughter CeCe. Tommy is dying of lung cancer. Alexis is very busy proving to the world that a woman can be an advertising executive. And CeCe is a hormonal teenager who wants to be an actress and cannot stand her mother.
After I rolled my eyes at the description, I read a quite few positive reviews and took the plunge. The book turns out to be an emotional family tale. I think the term βtear-jerkerβ still applies but not in a negative way. I love it when a book surprises me.
Tommy’s character was likeable right from the beginning. I can’t say the same for Alexis and CeCe. Alexis is so focused and absorbed by her job that she leaves most of the parenting duties to Tommy. The absence of a great mother figure results in CeCe being a self-absorbed brat.
The family dynamic changes as they all go to Destin, Florida for the summer as Tommy’s last hurrah. It does not happen as one big Kumbaya moment but gradually we see the changes happening. As expected, there are ups and downs. And it gets quite emotional, more than once. I felt their sadness and their grief.
This is a character-driven story. It is a fairly fast read and very easy to get in to. I enjoyed the setting of Destin. Itβs a place Iβve been to several times. I always like to hear places mentioned that I am familiar with. Fans of JoJo Moyes will enjoy this book, hopefully as much as I did.
PS I am a book cover person, I loved this cover.
Leave a Reply