Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple is a funny, charming read. Bernadette is a little bit of an anti-social wife & mother, but she still maintains a wonderful relationship with her 15-year-old daughter Bee and a lovely marriage to Elgin who works long hours at Microsoft to support his family (and their derelict house). Their story is told through the emails, letters, and documents of neighbors, parents at Bee’s school, Bernadette’s emails with her Internet assistant, medical professionals, law enforcement officials, and Bee’s observations. Occasionally with epistolary novels, all the voices sound the same. That doesn’t happen here. Each quirky character has a distinct voice and their own share of troubles. Be warned, you might laugh aloud…or at least giggle quietly. 
Want to read more quirky books told through documents and letters? Try…
- Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
- Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon
- The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
- The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston
- The Lawgiver by Herman Wouk
Do you have a favorite epistolary novel? Tell us about it in the comments!
