The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly HarmsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This light-hearted novel is the story of Amy Byler, a high school librarian, abandoned by her husband, John, and left alone to raise her two young children. When John suddenly reappears three years later and wants to reestablish a relationship with his kids, Amy reluctantly agrees to allow him to spend a week alone with daughter Cori and son Joe, while she attends a librarian conference in NYC. What begins as a short trip blossoms into a full-blown “momspringa”, as Amy rediscovers herself and finally realizes what is truly important.
The format of the novel is at once a bit confusing and brilliant. Chapters alternate between those told in first person from Amy’s perspective, and those written as reading journal entries from the point of view of teenage daughter Cori. The voices are well-developed and unique, capturing the essence of both a brooding, witty and sarcastic teen and a harried mom in search of herself.
This novel may be a niche piece, as much of the enjoyment comes from the ability to catch the literary references. Well-versed readers will delight in the Latin puns and jokes, as well as the clever nods to John Dewey, and those with an affinity for YA lit (especially those who teach it) will find the subplots relatable and perhaps even enlightening and educational. There are a few things here that I will certainly attempt to implement in my own classroom next fall.
My only misgivings about the book relate directly to the conclusion. It seemed almost “soap-operaesque”, overly affected and a bit melodramatic for my tastes, but considering the laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled throughout, the sappy conclusion can almost be forgiven.
Overall, this is a must read for librarians and English teachers, though it is also a pretty good beach read for anyone with a sense of humor.
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