Going into this book, I must admit that I was wary because I'm not usually a fan of introspective female narratives. Instead, I found myself glued to the pages of this deep dive into a fascinating life of a square peg in the round hole of wealthy New York society.
Each chapter covers a year, starting with the fateful year of 1981 when Laura becomes pregnant with Emma. The chapters are then broken into small vignettes, that are addictive as candy. Greathead has amazingly astute observations of things that can seem insignificant, but paint such a detailed portrait of life. Stories of her misguided friendship with the pediatrician, her best friend, her upper crust WASP caricature of a mother, dates gone wrong, sister in law dynamics, school mom drama, and preteen drama all struck a chord. When Emma is excited about her new school but isn't responding to the adults with the right level of enthusiasm:
"One of the more exhausting aspects of getting older was having to act like an adult. Pretending to like people you couldn't stand, speaking for the sake of filling a silence, smiling when you felt like crying."
These episodes are witty, funny, fraught with tension and quite sad, in equal measure. Laura's privilege blinds her to any real self awareness, or awareness of the lives of others, which makes for so many quirky moments that can go in unexpected ways. One might find her infuriating, but I couldn't help but root for her to triumph in the end.
"Life hadn't required Laura to navigate unknown territory on her own, and on the few occasions over the years when she had taken the initiative to do so had all been very empowering."
The author's uncanny ability to convey authentic dialogue and such genuine details about life reminds me a great deal of Curtis Sittenfeld's writing, one of my all time favorite authors. The prose on the agony and ecstasy of motherhood and adolescence rings so true. If you enjoy character driven, fly on the wall, hypnotically written episodic stories, I would HIGHLY recommend Laura and Emma.
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book went absolutely nowhere. The characters are lifeless- the story tedious- the ending abrupt. I kept waiting for something to happen! Perhaps the author was trying to show how absolutely mundane some lives are even though difficult choices were made. Thank you for letting me review this book.

What a lovely little book. Laura and Emma is the story of a mother and daughter in New York. They are a quirky sort of pair, Laura being raised a WASP and in a job as an event planner. A portion of this book does depend on the 'privilege' 'upper crust' of New York, but also includes mentions of the struggles of the 80s and 90s (AIDS, depression).

Laura is, at heart, still very immature. Emma is figuring out the world around her. It's a funny, and heartfelt book.

A fifteen-year window into the life of an NYC woman who is the outlier of her wealthy and privileged family is Laura & Emma. Author Kate Greathead presents her first novel, a story of a mother and daughter that explores family relationships, social standards, and the sacrifices that come with choosing motherhood.

It’s easy to completely relate to Laura. She is a woman who mostly keeps to herself, doesn’t fall in with social standards of the upper class, has a favorite neighborhood grocery store, and doesn’t exactly love the idea of all-the-time sex. Laura is embarrassed by the word “wealthy,” and she tries to independently make a living without her family’s money. She adheres to her own particular fashion habit of rarely buying new clothes with a “’Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without’” mentality. She is quite content to be living a solitary and simplistic life.

Then, in the summer of 1981, Laura has her first and only sexual experience that leaves her pregnant. Laura schedules an abortion – her “greatest gift to the planet” – but changes her mind on the morning of her scheduled abortion. With the arrival of her daughter, Emma, Laura’s quiet life evolves into a life of pediatricians, private school admission applications, game nights, and beach vacations. Emma grows to be curious, energetic, and strong-willed; though Laura and Emma are close while Emma is young, they inevitably grow apart as Emma gets older, until Emma goes off to boarding school and Laura resumes her solitary life.

Greathead expertly weaves her novel through interlaying nods to the history of New York City in the 1980s and 1990s. With each abrupt introduction of a new scene, Greathead gives just enough information on what must have happened in the lost time to encourage her audience to continue on. Reading more like a narrated journaling that is built from a chronological collection of aperçus, Laura & Emma is a strong debut novel that gives so many more questions to ask than are answered.

Laura is a single mother in NYC who comes from a good bit of money. She's the "Plain Jane" type and doesn't seem to get too excited about many things. After a random one night stand, Laura becomes pregnant with Emma. The novel continues with the story of Laura and Emma's lives and the ups and downs they experience together. I really thought this novel was going to be amazing because other readers said it was similar to Gilmore Girls, but it fell a little flat for me.

There were definitely some fun and hilarious moments, but I thought Laura's character was pretty bland and I also wasn't too crazy about her relationship with her daughter. They didn't seem all that close to me and I thought the whole novel just had a sad feeling to it. There were some definite character positives, I loved Laura's mother and I thought Emma was pretty charming the more we got to know her.

All in all, I thought Laura & Emma was a little slow and boring. I felt like the novel didn't really have much of a direction and the ending left me wanted something more. This novel was not my typical read, so I don't want to judge too harshly as I think there are a lot of people who would really enjoy this read. I would recommend this novel if you enjoy contemporary women's fiction.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

I was given an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review

This book delighted me. It takes on familiar topics, mothers and daughters, the NYC UES idle rich, single motherhood, AIDS in the 80s, and society's expectations for women, and deals with them in a warm-hearted, humorous way, so that both the reader and the characters are often in on the joke even when the tone turns satirical. I did not want to have to say goodbye to these characters when the book ended.

Ultimately more a series of character descriptions over time than a traditional plot driven narrative, LAURA & EMMA left me feeling adrift by the book’s end. The passage of time did not produce much change in Laura, the protagonist’s, character; she was essentially the same person in her mid-40s as she had been as a child. She wasn’t any more engaging as a character, to me or her family or few friends, either. Her daughter went through a more traditional developmental arc but as seen through Laura’s eyes, was held at such a distance, it was difficult to engage with her. Without a larger plot, the book was never more than these characters. I kept waiting for more. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
Laura – Despite its title Laura & Emma is really Laura’s story and of that I’m very glad. Her quirky personality reminded me very much of Eleanor in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and like Eleanor, she could be a hoot. Laura was not your typical wealthy New Yorker. She cared little for the luxuries that money could buy and tended to wear the same “uniform” outfit most days. Laura certainly cared little what others thought (including her family), and tended to be a loner. She had no desire for a marriage, a partner, or even for sex. Laura marched to her own drummer, but willingly suffered long boring summer vacations because she knew they were good for her daughter, Emma. Even the way Emma was conceived spoke to just how weird Laura could be, but her love for Emma drove this story.

I Want To Be Rich! – Laura lived her own life and made her own decisions, but her parents’ money was never far away. Thanks to trusts and parental help, Laura’s life was made pretty easy. Sure, she had to buy a large penthouse apartment on the edge of a not so great part of the city, but it was hers. When Laura couldn’t quite find the right nanny for Emma, her work hours (at a family firm) were quickly adjusted, but conveniently, her pay remained the same. Summers off? No problem. Tuition to private schools? Enter her father. Money was part of who Laura was and I liked that Greathead didn’t shy away from it. She gave Laura plenty of advantages, which were just a part of who she was.

Mothers & Daughters – Laura finds herself in the center of two great mother-daughter relationships. Her own east side mother, Bibs, was a kick, often frustrating Laura. Yet, Laura loved her deeply. Bibs was none too happy when Laura turned up pregnant, but in her own way was a great support and a loving grandmother. Emma, for Laura, was what many daughters are: payback. She was a pistol with strong opinions from a young age and she wasn’t afraid to share them. She brought meaning and messiness to Laura’s tidy life.

“The little space between her nose and upper lip dimpled in anticipatory excitement; she fixed her eyes on Laura’s and followed them like liquid magnets. Laura’s love felt like a bird in her chest, beating its wings against her rib cage.”

What Didn’t
An Abrupt Ending – Late in Laura & Emma there was a shift to a more mature relationship between the two characters. While this was not unexpected, it somehow felt forced, almost random. This part of the book just didn’t work as well as the rest largely because it felt so abrupt. The story was rolling along nicely and then it was over.

{The Final Assessment}
I consider Laura & Emma a very successful debut effort by Kate Greathead. Both her writing and character development were strong, plus her book had a lot of humor that kept it light. I’d have liked to see a little more resolution to the story’s ending, but I was happy to be reading and completely engaged throughout. I especially liked the way Greathead told Laura’s story in chapters moving through the years from 1980-1995. That’s a fun era and a quirky, moneyed heroine in NYC made it even more fun. Grade: B

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

If you loved Ladybird, you will love this novel! Delightfully quirky, with a mother and daughter relationship you won’t soon forget, set in the 1980s and 90s. As I read, I kept thinking this book should be a movie. Such descriptive characters set in the most memorable place, New York City. This quick, fun debut was fresh and honest!

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this debut novel - really enjoyed this book!

This is a quiet, quirky novel centering around a mother and daughter in NYC in the 80s and 90s. Laura is born into wealth on the Upper East Side. She is a quiet person, not quite fitting in, more concerned about the environment than fashion. After a one-night stand in her 30s, she becomes pregnant. Enter Emma - a spunky girl with a mind of her own.

The story is told in chapters of the different years of the mother and daughter and that's where the magic happens in this book. Besides seeing the relationship, we see the signs of the time having their impact - from homelessness and class differences to AIDS to family and friends. There are great characters in this book - Laura's mom for one.

A great character study book!

This is a very low key and subtle novel about an Upper East Side single mother and her daughter. Told in relatively short chapters representing a year, it covering their relationship until Emma, the daughter, goes to boarding school at the age of 13. Let's be honest- Laura comes from the sort of privilege few of us can imagine and this insulates her from the real trials of being a single mom (for heavens sake, her employment contract allows her part time, with eight weeks off in the summer for full time pay- because her family is critical to the institution). That said, it doesn't mean she doesn't live the ups and downs of life. One of the more bittersweet things revolves around Emma's pediatrician, Dr. Brown. I definitely felt Laura, all her angst about Emma, her dealings with her family, and so on and even if she really wasn't as sympathetic (again, her parents own a town house on the UES) as some might like, she was a real person to me. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a gentle, loving read.

Single mother (Laura) raises daughter (Emma) in NYC.

This story follows Laura, a 30 year old woman, who becomes pregnant after a one night stand. In order to avoid judgment (in the early 1980s), she tells friends and family that she used a sperm donor and raises Emma as a single mom. Even though Laura was born into an affluent family, she prefers to live a simple life, residing in Harlem (her parents only pay a quarter of her mortgage, not all of it, thank you very much!), volunteering at a homeless shelter, and wearing simple clothes (despite her beauty). She is often told that she doesn't act like she was raised in NYC and is always kind to others, including a homeless man who lives near her building and her daughter's gay pediatrician, Dr. Brown.

This story takes a meandering look at being a single mom, postpartum depression, losing a parent, and the AIDS epidemic. I enjoyed the writing style of this debut and look forward to more from this author!

The cast of characters included:
* Bibs and Douglas - Laura's parents
* Nicholas - Laura's younger brother by 5 years
* Stephanie - Nicholas' wife, who suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth to Nicholas Jr.
* Margaret, Trip and Charlotte - Laura's closest friend, her husband and her daughter, who is Emma's age

Thank you to the author and the publisher for a free ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

Laura is a single mother, hailing from a wealthy Upper East Side family, raising Emma during the 80's and 90's. We see vignettes of mother and daughter through the decades; and if I can be absolutely honest, I wish it had been more than just vignettes, which left me feeling removed from the characters. I started reading this thinking it might be a literary equivalent to Gilmore Girls, and while there are some similarities, especially with wealthy grandparents and single motherhood, this is its own story.

Laura strives to be progressive and liberal, but she's unable to get beyond her conservative, wealthy background. Her attempts are often stifled: she tries to enroll her child into a progressive school, but once denied her first attempt, she then puts her into her alma mater. There's a very sad subplot revolving around Emma's gentle pediatrician, but Laura (and perhaps the novel itself) isn't brave enough, or equipped enough, to reach out in a compassionate way. Ultimately, this is a novel about complacency.

Young Emma is meant to be Laura's counterpoint: she sees their background as stunted and antiquated, and tries to speak up. Yet in many instances, I felt that she was just being shuttered into another stereotype, that of angry young tween/teenager. In many ways, I was more afraid for Emma's future than I ever felt for Laura. There are warning signs emanating from Emma that Laura is just too ill-equipped to deal with.

For me, the biggest stumbling block was the vignette style. I am a fan of character driven novels, but here, I felt that I could never get close enough to either Laura or Emma, or even any supporting characters. We glimpse a moment in their lives, and then immediately, we move on to a new year, a new scene. I wanted to feel for these characters, to ache for them, but instead I felt as if I was seeing them through a wall of glass.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for an ARC.

Got this as a digital ARC from Netgalley.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I started out really enjoying it-both the characters and the writing style but I felt like the story kind of just fizzled out. I usually enjoy short stories or novels written in this style but I really struggled to get through this one because the story was kind of blah. The strongest piece of the book for me was the mother/daughter relationship between Laura and Emma but the rest fell flat. I hated the ending and it left me unsatisfied. I think this was just not my thing and the quirky style just didn't hit the right notes for me.

3.5/5 -While I wish I had been bowled over by Laura & Emma, I can only say I enjoyed it for the most part. Told in vignettes about (initially) Laura's life as she learns she is pregnant after a one night stand (that occurred under very odd circumstances) and then her life with her daughter Emma, the book (set in the 1980s and 90s) never hits an emotional depth that one would expect. Laura is a 7th generation New Yorker - she's from old money (today we'd say she's in the one percent) and is incredibly privileged. Laura has different ideas about how to live her life but still accepts the benefits of that privilege - like having a job as event coordinator in an event space that was once an ancestor's home. When she wants to change her schedule to accommodate raising her daughter as a single parent, she is told no. Laura takes the matter to the board, who allow her to be paid a full time salary for a part time job that includes eight weeks off in summer. (The facility could hold dozens of weddings during those eight weeks but doesn't because of this privilege.) The oddities of "WASP" behaviors are amusing but not enough to carry the book to a satisfying place. The reader is supposed to understand that Emma struggles with the privilege but that is only clear very late in the book. Many readers will struggle with the vagaries of the book's ending but that was the least of this reader's concerns.

With thanks to NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a witty and hilarious book that looks at the relationship between a single mother, Laura, and her daughter, Emma.  Each chapter is a vignette that gives a snapshot picture of this crazy, over the top family. I absolutely loved reading this book that is told from Laura's sometimes outrageous point of view. Each chapter left me wanting more and laughing to myself. If you loved Gilmore Girls, this book is right up your alley.  Kate Greathead is a 9-time Moth StorySLAM champion which is clear by her smart, subtle and concise storytelling. What a great debut novel.

SO SO GOOD--ALL THE FEELS! The mother-daughter dynamic was so well executed, and I am recommending this book to everyone in my book clubs/Facebook groups....and calling my mom to catch up ;)

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for my free copy for review! All opinions are my own.

There's something so special about Laura & Emma. Greathead's created a lovely portrait in the vein of the Nora Ephron stories and screenplays that gave us such charmingly flawed, funny and relatable, equal parts strong and vulnerable - and most of all, human women.

Though set back in the 80's and 90's on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, we have a heroine who very adamantly breaks the mold in her own quiet, self-assured way. Laura is the type of feminist protagonist that doesn't scream out loud about her viewpoint and ethics or moral standards, but steadily marches to the beat of her own drum, carving out a path and bold lifestyle for herself that, especially at the time that this book is set- is entirely unique and just ahead of her time.

This book is, like Mrs. by Catilin Macy, (which I enjoyed so much), quite a focus on character-study. The major character development in this story is Laura's, followed by Emma's, her daughter. With Emma, perhaps it's because she is a child, or perhaps it is because she is at times as foreign to us as this adolescent pre-teen can be to her mother, I felt I didn't get to see into her desires and motives as clearly as Laura's - and perhaps intentionally. All of the other characters exist in a full and colorful way, and I felt as a reader I did grow close to them - mourned their loss, was bruised by their snide remarks or found comfort in their at times, inconsistent, companionship. But this all is very much through Laura's lens. We don't truly get to know the inner lives of the peripheral characters, but this I think is okay because it only magnifies our protagonist's singular experience.

As is the case with many character-driven pieces, we follow along at Laura and Emma's pace of life and at a certain point I found myself thinking "how can she wrap this plot up?" Her choice for an ending absolutely shocked me. But, like life, sometimes someone's story abruptly ends - whether through death, or drifting apart from each other, or re-location - whatever it may be, and you are left wondering, with questions. (No spoilers there, it's such a uniquely bizarre ending -you just have to read it!) But that person has made their stamp. And that is the case here with these two special characters, Laura in particular.

Understand the type of piece this is before diving in, you will get to dig into this woman's psyche and get to know her like your very best friend, but events and plot do not take the forefront of importance in her story. Rather, it is more of a reflection on how this character will react and interact with the events that she experiences. I do hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

**Find my Bookish posts and reviews on Instagram at @mlleboaz.bibliophile !!

The voyeurism of this novel was both fascinating and unsettling. We see Laura, her growing daughter Emma, and Laura’s family and friends in a bright unsentimental light. Ultimately I both liked her and lost patience with her, but in that way you feel about a friend who makes bad decisions that you just don’t feel you can criticize.