Once Upon a Time, There was You

Once Upon a Time, There Was You by Elizabeth Berg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Irene and John, never should have gotten married. Now divorced, the only thing they have in common is their beloved 18 year old daughter, Sadie, who is on the verge of going away to college. Living for the most part in California, with a few weeks spent in Minnesota with her Dad, Sadie tells a lie about going rock climbing with friends to her over protective mother - but instead has plans to spend a few days with her boyfriend, Ron. When Ron doesn't arrive on time at the rendezvous spot, Sadie makes a huge mistake and catches a lift with a older, handsome man. In the meantime, Irene has been plagued with doubts about letting Sadie go on her trip, but is told over and over that she has been smothering her daughter. Days later, after filing a missing person report, even the local police station racks it up as just a teenage prank. When Sadie still doesn't come home, Irene finally sounds the alarm and reaches out to John for help.



Elizabeth Berg has a way of reaching into our lives and putting into words how we think and feel. Although this is not my favorite read of hers, I still enjoyed the characters and trying to figure out why John and Irene were married in the first place, with such a cold and tragic background between their childhood lives. I also enjoyed the thoughts of Irene and Sadie as they were both trying to loosen the smothering bond between them.











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