Bettyville
When George Hodgman leaves Manhattan for his hometown of Paris, Missouri, he finds himself—an unlikely caretaker and near-lethal cook—in a head-on collision with his aging mother, Betty, a woman of wit and will. Will George lure her into assisted living? When hell freezes over. He can’t bring 
himself to force her from the home both treasure—the place where his father’s voice lingers, the scene of shared jokes, skirmishes, and, behind the dusty antiques, a rarely acknowledged conflict: Betty, who speaks her mind but cannot quite reveal her heart, has never really accepted the fact that her son is gay.
himself to force her from the home both treasure—the place where his father’s voice lingers, the scene of shared jokes, skirmishes, and, behind the dusty antiques, a rarely acknowledged conflict: Betty, who speaks her mind but cannot quite reveal her heart, has never really accepted the fact that her son is gay.
As these two unforgettable characters try to bring their different worlds together, Hodgman reveals the challenges of Betty’s life and his own struggle for self-respect, moving readers from their small town—crumbling but still colorful—to the star-studded corridors of Vanity Fair. Evocative of The End of Your Life Book Club and The Tender Bar, Hodgman’s New York Times bestselling debut is both an indelible portrait of a family and an exquisitely told tale of a prodigal son’s return.
~ Goodreads
My review..........2 stars
If I could describe this book in one word it would be boring. Having said that, this book has some glowing reviews, so I'm feeling like I must have missed something? I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher for review, and quite honestly, that is probably why I stuck with it instead of just moving on. When I read the synopsis, and based on the title, I assumed the book was going to be about Betty. I love books about elderly people (A Man Called Ove, Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Elizabeth is Missing all come to mind), but this was really more about the son than his mother. I did enjoy, and even chuckled over some of the situations involving Betty, but then the book would ramble on (moving back and forth in time), and I would find myself counting how many pages until the end. The writing was fine, it did get a tad confusing when we were going back and forth in time, but I don't really think that was the problem for me. I think I did get what the writer was trying to portray, but it just needed a bit more of Betty, and a bit more spark for me to enjoy it fully.
Sad to say this one just didn't work for me, but don't take my word for it, go look at some of the other reviews before deciding whether to pick this one up. Has anyone else read this? Please share your thoughts if you have, especially if it was a win for you.
Haven't read it or heard of the author, but it's always sad when a reader is misled about the content of the story and is disappointed. Even if the writing is above par, which here you dislike the confusing back-and-forth, it's a bummer when you expect one thing and get another. Oh well, I won't be seeking this one out.