Life on the Refrigerator Door
A Novel in Notes
By Alice Kuipers
This book consists only of notes left on the refrigerator door... notes that track a painful and at times confronting year for Claire and her Mum. Mum is a doctor, and very, very busy. Claire is fifteen, and quite unprepared for what happens to her mother. Suddenly it seems she is expected to be grownup and able to manage big issues.
This book is perceptively written. The notes include the prosaic (shopping lists) as well as the aftermath of more than one argument. This story could have been romanticized but instead is all the more affecting because neither Clair nor her Mum have all the answers.
What is it about? It is best to get drawn into the narrative of the notes all by yourself, but perhaps I can hint by pointing out that the dust jacket is bright pink. This book is suitable for Middle Schoolers (with parental support) and up. It could potentially be useful for those families where Mum or Dad are facing major medical challenges... issues of denial, grief, hope, love and communication are opened up within the story.
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