The author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill returns with story about Jessica, a corporate lawyer, her 16-year-old daughter Emily, and the week-long tour of East Coast colleges the two embark on together. Both mother and daughter are struggling with their respective lives and keeping a secret from one another, which will be revealed by the end of their trip.
... this story is deeply felt. Jessica and Emily’s interactions have a sharpness and insight which demonstrates flawed their relationship is, yet there is humour infused throughout. Waxman allows us an insider view inside each of the main character’s heads, and she does this very well. The novel is a pitch perfect depiction of the challenges, heartache, and awkwardness that is characteristic of some mother-teenage daughter relationships. It is a story that will be deeply relatable for many women ... Waxman depicts the pain, love, and discomfort of being a mother of a teenager very well ... Emily’s perspective is interesting and a lot of fun to read, as well ... In addition to crafting an interesting and entertaining story about a mother-daughter relationship, Abbi Waxman describes friendship between women very well ... This book portrays the college visits with a sense of humour and shows how an interesting young lady figures out what is best for her, what she cares about, and what is right ... a fun, genuine, and immensely readable foray into the relationships between teenagers and their parents.
Told in short passages that alternate perspectives between Jessica and Emily, I Was Told It Would Get Easier offers a healthy dose of dramatic irony, as readers recognize—even if the mother-daughter pair don’t—the places where they have things in common, the things they could tell one another but don’t. At times, their story veers perilously close to farce, but it always comes back to a place of tenderness and emotional authenticity, as Jessica and Emily learn to speak up about what each of them wants for—and to honor what the other wants as well.
... another novel full of heart and giggles ... Narration alternates between Jessica and Emily, garnering sympathy on both sides and illustrating the classic adage, 'two sides to every story.' Waxman shines at creating characters that feel like best friends, inspiring compassion, laughs, and cheers, and fans of Katherine Center and Linda Holmes’ Evvie Drake Starts Over (2019) will adore this.
