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Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days
An Almost Completely Honest Account of What Happened to Our Family When Our Youngest Son, His Wife, and Their Baby, Their Toddler, and Their Five-Year-Old Came to Live with Us for Three Months
1 of 1 copy available
When Judith's son Alexander announces that he, his wife, Marla, their daughter, Olivia (age five), and their two sons, Isaac (age two) and Toby (four months), would be staying with her and her husband for ninety days while their house was being renovated, Judy doesn't know quite how to repond. "I tried to think of it as a magnificent, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not only to strengthen family ties and not only to really get to know the grandchildren, but also to further my personal growth while also achieving marital enrichment." She decides that she'll have to learn to let go of her excessive devotion to domestic neatness and adherence to carefully planned schedules.
As Judith's tightly run home turns into a high-octane madhouse of screaming grandkids, splattered floors, spilled milk, and tripped-over toys, she begins to understand that, despite the chaos, what she's been given truly is an amazing thing, an opportunity to know her children and grandchildren a little better than before, but also to reconnect with her husband as they hold hands, close their eyes, and wait patiently for move-out day.
When the "Alexander Five" make a final departure to their newly refurbished home, Judith realizes that Alexander's wonderful, marvelous, excellent, terrific ninety days might have been the greatest gift her son could have given her—the gift of discovering forgotten memories, making loving families, and a chance to live life a little more deeply.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
November 6, 2007 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781400125289
- File size: 75856 KB
- Duration: 02:38:01
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Judith Viorst wrote a classic picture book about Alexander's bad day. Now he's grown and raising three young children, and he's temporarily moved home with his mom and dad while his own home is being renovated. His mother describes the horror and humor of intergenerational cohabitation. Though she's tender about her grandchildren and has judgments about today's "hyper-parenting," her writing escapes being preachy or saccharine as she offers vivid details of daily life and pokes fun at her own "inner fascist." Laural Merlington keeps up with the fast-paced living and fast-paced writing. The irony in Merlington's voice is exquisite as she relates stories of Viorst's long-term marriage and the exuberance and agony of grandparenting. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine -
December 24, 2007
Viorst has her house exactly the way she likes it, with all the fine things that she denied herself when raising three rambunctious sons. But that order is delightfully disturbed when her youngest son, Alexander (the inspiration for her famous picture book), his wife and their three young children return to the nest while their house is being renovated. Her account of the three-month stay, replete with disruptions, awkwardness and wonderfully affectionate moments, is a sweet and mildly humorous testament to a family whose loving bonds are powerfully evident. Viorst intersperses familial anecdotes with musings on modern parenting and its problems, including various approaches to accommodating three generations in one house. Merlington's tone matches Viorst's text perfectly, conveying Viorst's defiant defensiveness about and gentle amusement at her own foibles, particularly her penchants for order and her almost complete inability to repress the sharing of “helpful” advice. This charming minimemoir doesn't break any new ground, but it doesn't have to. Simultaneous release with the Free Press hardcover.
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