April Epner, adopted daughter of two Holocaust survivors, never really thought much about her birth mother. When her mother Bernice, local TV celebrity and drama queen extraordinaire, shows up out of nowhere, April's fairly quiet life as a single Latin teacher of 36 will never be the same.

By turns sweet and hilarious, this was a fun story set in Boston. The characters were great: I could sympathize with April's mixed feelings towards Bernice (who was sort of annoying but such a funny, wonderful character, too) while they get to know each other. The narrator, Mia Barron, did a fabulous job interpreting the characters and made the dialogue that much more enjoyable. This was my first time using a Playaway, and while I found the format so-so (the sound was tinny and if I fell asleep without pausing it, I had to start over at the beginning of a chapter), the story itself made up for it. ( )

When I worked at the bookstore, one of my “Staff Recommendations” was Elinor Lipman’s novel Then She Found Me. As far as I know, no one bought the book, which is a shame because it is very good.

It is the story of April Epner, the adopted daughter of two Holocaust survivors whose ordinary life as a high school Latin teacher is interrupted by Bernice Graves, her birth mother. Bernice, who was a teenager when she gave April up for adoption, wants to establish a connection with her daughter but initially seems to lack the finesse and maturity necessary for a real relationship. Between telling April that her birth father is John F. Kennedy and attempting to set April up on blind dates, Bernice’s disruptive presence does not fit into April’s orderly existence. However, the two of them try to forge some sort of understanding.

Although the plot seems simple, Lipman’s handling of it is surprisingly deft. She ably weaves in the complications of being the child of Holocaust survivors without getting mired down in gravitas. Even though the story is from April’s perspective, Lipman is able to evoke sympathy for Bernice, no small feat considering Bernice’s penchant for lying and her sometimes selfish behavior. Finally, while she manages to incorporate a love interest for April, she never forgets that the story is, at its heart, about the relationship between a mother and daughter.

All in all, Then She Found Me is a good read that also invites reflection about relationships in general and parent-child relationships in particular. Despite its Lifetime "movie of the week" vibe, Lipman manages to balance the characters' angst and frustration with wit and humor and prevents the story from veering off into becoming too maudlin or sentimental. ( )

High-school Latin teacher April has just lost her adoptive parents when her birth mother comes into her life like a whirlwind. She is Bernice G, known for a housewife-approved, early-morning talk show and expects April to fawn all over her. April tentatively enters into a lunch-date relationship with the boisterous woman and tries to sort out the many lies and half-truths about her past. Helping her research some of Bernice's whoppers (such as her birth dad was JFK) is her school's librarian Dwight. Much like April is initially repulsed by Bernice, but warms up to her, so does April slowly fall for Dwight. Their courtship is awkward but content in its simplicity (a date at a Shaker farm!) and they seem very right for one another.

The characters are humerous, sympathetic, and relateable. There's no great conflict here, merely the timeline of Bernice's and April's gradual understanding of one another. Bernice's antics drive the story and, like April, we are alternately exasperated and charmed by her. ( )

I enjoyed the story, particularly the romance factor. As an adoptive mother, I was annoyed by all the "real mother" stuff. Bio mother, first mother, birth mother are all accurate and neutral. Real (and fake by default) are insulting. That said, I wonder if I could be as kind as April is to the wacky person who gave birth to her! ( )

This book was really funny. The birth mother was a little crazy - she was a local talk show host and I enjoyed the way the daughter didn't fall into her traps. A very enjoyable story. ( )