In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira is a book that I am so excited for! The parallel story is one that should be really interesting and give different perspectives, yet it seems as though there will also be two stories in one here. Road trip books are my favourites, so I know that I will be picking this one up as soon as I can!
In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira
Title: In Search of UsAuthor: Ava Dellaria
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
The author of the beloved Love Letters to the Dead returns with a parallel story of a mother and daughter each at age seventeen. Marilyn's tale recounts the summer she fell in love and set out on her own path. Angie's story is about her search for her unknown father.
This sweeping multi-generational love story introduces readers to mother-and-daughter pair Marilyn and Angie. To seventeen-year-old Angie, who is mixed-race, Marilyn is her hardworking, devoted white single mother. But Marilyn was once young, too. When Marilyn was seventeen, she fell in love with Angie's father, James, who was African-American. But Angie's never met him, and Marilyn has always told her he died before she was born. When Angie discovers evidence of an uncle she's never met she starts to wonder: What if her dad is still alive, too? So she sets off on a journey to find him, hitching a ride to LA from her home in New Mexico with her ex-boyfriend, Sam. Along the way, she uncovers some hard truths about herself, her mother, and what truly happened to her father.
Book Quotes: In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira
But missing something is okay. It’s better, anyways, than feeling stuck somewhere. I’ll take longing over boredom any day.
Love’s worth it, for however long it lasts.
About Ava Dellaira
Ava Dellaira is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. She grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago. She believes this book began when she bought her second album ever—Nirvana’s In Utero—which she listened to on repeat while filling the pages of her journal. She currently lives in Santa Monica, California, where she works in the film industry and is writing her second novel.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
I love multi-generational stories! And a road trip to self-discovery is always good.
I agree!
It’s interesting to have this dual storyline of mother and daughter both at age seventeen. It’s never easy to imagine our parents as teenagers, so I think this approach would help us get to know Marilyn a lot better!
Right?! It gives me a whole Back to the Future kind of feeling. 😉
What a pretty cover, Looks awesome!
I’m sad to say that I DNF’d Love Letters to the Dead… just wasn’t my thing, I guess. Maybe In Search of Us would be better for me. 🙂
I have yet to read that one. I hope that you like this one if you do give it a try. 🙂
I requested this one from Raincoast! I cant wait to read it myself.
I hope we both enjoy it when it comes out 🙂
I hope that you love it! I will watch for your review. 🙂
I am not a huge fan of road trips stories most of the time, but the parallel story of mom and daughter does interest me. I would love to know my moms story and mine, reading them side by side
That would be such a fun journaling type of thing to do with your mom! I wonder how the stories would compare? 😉
This one sounds super interestin. I haven’t come across it until now. I love road trips and muti-generation stories. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday and wishing you a wonderful and safe Happy New Year.
-Helena 💋xoxo
I love mother-daughter stories, and even though I have yet to read Love Letters to the Dead this sounds like a terrific book! Tear-jerking too.
I hope you get to read it soon, and that it’s just as enjoyable as you’d hoped 🙂
Sounds like an interesting read! Hope you enjoy it when you finally get to read it! 🙂
This is a new Author for me but I find this story intriguing and look forward to reading it. Hanks for your thoughts on it.
Carol Luciano
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
This sounds like an awesome read.
I like the book summary – sounds really interesting. Family dramas are usually so good.