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My Hollywood (2010)

by Mona Simpson(Favorite Author)

3.05 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0307273520 (ISBN13: 9780307273529)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Knopf

review 1: This is an extraordinary literary work. Ten years in the writing, Mona Simpson expertly tells a story that is really nothing more than everyday life (not much of a plot, per se, but that doesn't matter at all) from the viewpoints of Claire, a 30-something wife and new mother who lives in Hollywood, contrasted from the vantage point of Lola, a Filipina nanny who takes care of Claire's son. This is the story of not only the priorities we choose, but also the sacrifices we make--and choose not to make--for our marriages, careers, children and the quest for money and the sometimes haunting consequences of those choices. Simpson is a skilled writer, and often slips into a Virginia Woolf-like stream of consciousness with both main characters. My only complaint: There are a lot o... moref characters, especially the large Filipina nanny community, and the X-ray feature is disabled on the Kindle version. That would have been very useful.
review 2: Since everyone says that this book is so much like The Help, I avoided it. I didn't like The Help but this book (which I listened to) I really enjoyed! Bhama Roget, who narrated the book, did an incredible job, especially with the voice of Filipina Lola. It was fascinating view into the lives of the folks who hire nannies and even more so, the lives of those nannies. Though I don't know if Lola's experience is typical, it felt genuine. As someone who has lived with people for the Phillipines, it really rang true to me and actually helped me understand them better. All in all, it was quite a satisfying read. less

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