The Mother Daughter Book Club

Last night I was putting my girls to bed. Part of the ritual involves me reading to them, but after I am done with that, I also read for a bit to myself while they look at books or read to themselves. I had finished The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown, an adult book, while this was going on and my middle daughter volunteered to go and pick out a new book for me. Having anyone pick out a book for me to read is always a little scary since I have to be in a certain mood to want to read a certain book. I gave her just a few basic guidelines, and she returned with a nice selection. I can tell exactly what motivates her selection: the book's cover must be cute or girly. One of the books she came back with was The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick. I have looked at this book so many times in the past year and considered reading it. The topic definitely appeals to me, and I love Little Women, which is the book the the book club reads together. I didn't get very far in this book last night, but since once again we have had freezing rain overnight and church was cancelled again as was our Christmas celebration with my family, I had some reading time today. I just finished The Mother Daughter Book Club this afternoon and loved it. I know I would have loved it as a middle grade student, too. I am lucky that the second book is already waiting for me in my stack of books, but can't quite decide if I want to read it right away since there isn't a third one out right now and I may have to wait a while.
This book is narrated by four different girls: Cassidy, Emma, Jess, and Megan. All have some unique interests and family dynamics that set them apart from each other. Initially Megan is not a good friend with the other girls and Cassidy and her mother and sister are new to town. When I first bought the book I remember looking through it anticipating that the book club read a new book each month and there would be a new chapter or something each month noting that. Since Little Women takes the club an entire year to read there are quotes from Alcott along the way at the beginnings of each chapter. I am not sure kids who read the book would take time to read them, but as an adult I enjoyed them and how well they fit with the character or plot taking place. The book club is more the ideas of the mothers, yet the daughters grudgingly take part, and even grow to enjoy the book club and their time together. I also enjoyed the Chadwick family-both mother and daughter make trouble for the Mother Daughter Book Club. The flap of the second book has made me a bit curious since the Chadwicks are invited to join the book club in the second installment. I am not sure how that will work, but bet it will provide some humor. Maybe the book ends too happily, the plot being neatly tied up at the end, but this book made me smile and I can think of a lot of girls I know who would enjoy this book a lot.