WAIT is an interesting coming of age story about a young woman, Elise, who is graduating from college. When her mother, Gilda, and sister Sophia, don’t show up for graduation, she contacts her sister and finds out her mother is missing. She immediately flies home to Nantucket and after several days, they discover their mother has been deported in Brazil for not having papers. Sophie, who is just graduating from high school, goes to work while Elise works at her pre-college job for the summer. Gilda is trying to get back to daughters runs into immigration red tape. The girls lose their home because a nosy next-door neighbor told the landlord that the mother whose name was on the lease was gone. Fortunately, Sheba, Elise’s friend from college has a guest house in which they can stay. The relationship between the three girls is interesting. They are continual sexual undertones. Sheba is a “summer” girl and quite affluent. A party gone wrong hurts the relationship between Sheba and Elise. Elise and Sophia must leave the guest house permanently. Sophia goes off to college after being waitlisted. Gilda has found her way back to family in Brazil. Elise is planning to go to Brazil. WAIT is like New England weather. Wait a few minutes and it will change.
Thank you to NetGalley and One World Publishers for this advance copy.

First, thanks to NetGalley, Random House & Ms Burnham for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I was the wrong audience for this story based on the reviews I have now read.
Written in 3rd person POV, please know this ahead of time, as I find it distracting. Their mother(who would leave the girls alone previously) has been deported to Brazil & starts her life over without her girls. The girls work, have the next door neighbor who tells their landlord the house is a dump & he evicts them with no notice. Elise, has a rich roommate from college who happens to arrive at her summer home & decides Elise & Sophie will live with her. The roommate was not only rich, but out of touch with reality, self-centered & annoying. The story ends with Mom happily in Brazil, Sophie magically having a full ride to Berkley & leaving for CA, & Elise texting her mom (who hasn't had any contact recently with them) that she is "on her way" to Brazil.
Again, others may enjoy this story & read into it, however, I did not.

3.5 stars

There was so much going on in this book - deportation, coming of age, clashes between social classes, and so much more. However, by the end, it felt unfinished. I wanted more resolution.

It’s written in a third-person omniscient POV which is not my favorite. That’s a personal preference, not a critique of the writing.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - One World and NetGalley for the invitation to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

This may well be a Four-Star review for others, but the book did not speak to me. Present tense narration is very intrusive to me and distracted from the story.

And the story is about an unusual friendship between two college roommates: Elise, the daughter of an illegal resident from Brazil and the offspring of the Play-Dough fortune heir (Sheba, who has two mothers). Elise's younger sister Sophie has just graduated from high school and Elise from college. The girls live on Nantucket and suddenly find their mother absent. It turns out she has been deported (restoring ties with her sister and father in Brazil)

There is much drinking and partying on the island, particularly after the girls are evicted and move in with Sheba in her mothers' mansion. There are several extraneous characters, Harry and Rahul for example, whose inclusion in the novel escapes me. Sheba is a neurotic rich girl with endless supplies of money.

So is this novel highlighting the tale of friendship, of sisterhood, of the pain of parting from a deported parent? And why does the novel end so abruptly? An acceptance and scholarship for Sophie? And what for Elise? And Gilda, their mother? But at this; point, I did not truly care.

Thanks to NetGalley and One World Publishers for an Arc copy to read and review.

This is an insightful book which draws attention to current immigration hardships in the U.S. within a family.

Elise, 22 years old, was getting ready for her college graduation ceremony when her sister, Sophie, at 18, called her and said her mother, Gilda, was missing. It’s predictable: Gilda, an immigrant from Brazil, was arrested by ICE and now living with her sister where she was raised.

Meanwhile, Elise and Sophie are on their own which is a little hard to believe that they're able to pay the bills which includes rent and utilities for a house on Nantucket. Everyone knows the island is packed with wealthy folks. Elise takes on a job that she had at the beach in high school and Sophie is trying to scoop up tips in the food industry – minimum wage earners.

There are three parts: Home, The Guest and The Main House. It’s reads well as the two sisters are trying to figure out how they're going to survive. But, there are no chapter heads; just breaks. It’s annoying to me if there’s something I want to quickly refer to later such as “phosphorescent jellyfish” which happens to be quite interesting.

Most of us – I would hope – would agree that the immigration laws need to be revised to take in consideration of a parent paying taxes with American children. The story zeros in on wealth versus the working class with a huge gap in between. It has a good flow with the dialogue even though the author excluded quote marks. The characters are believable and it captured my attention from the beginning. Immigration is on the news all the time and is a good topic for reviews.

My thanks to One World and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book with an expected release date of May 21, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC Of Wait.

I needed a break from my usual reading material of serial killers, domestic dramas, and backstabbing frenemies so I thought Wait would be a palate refreshers. so to speak.

Elise returns home to Nantucket when her little sister, Sophie, informs her their mom is missing. Eventually, the siblings discover their mother has been deported to Brazil and the sisters spend a summer growing up, learning about each other, and becoming their own person.

I'm not the ideal audience for this story and in the beginning, I couldn't get into it.

Gradually, I liked reading about the sibs spending time together, growing close again, reminiscing about their childhoods, and eventually learning to live apart from their mother.

At the same time, their mother, distraught at being separated from her daughters, establishes a new life in Brazil with her own sister, and reconnects with her father.

When the sibs are evicted, Elise and Sophie crash at Elise's wealthy BFF's summer home and the dichotomy between the haves and have-nots is a not so subtle theme that rears its head throughout the narrative.

Yet, during the course of the summer, the sibs and their mother, an ocean away, learn to adapt to their new circumstances, moving forward with their lives, developing new skills and relationships and discovering resiliency and independence within themselves.

First and foremost I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishing company for allowing me to read and review this Arc. Thank y’all so much!

I was very hesitant about reading Wait. Simply because it follows a mother and her daughters having to adjust their lives after the mother is deported back to Brazil.

It shows the struggles and the continuation of the daughters’ lives.

I smpthaized with Elsie and her “big sister” characteristics as she tries to balance taking care of her younger sister and longing for her mother to come home.

It’s a very moving story that displays struggle and triumph.

Elise is looking forward to the next day when her sister and mother will arrive to see her graduate from college. A phone call from her sister, Sopia, informing her that their mother has mysteriously disappeared and despite all of her efforts, she has not been found. Elise is on the first flight back to Nantucket Island, where she grew up, totally missing the graduation ceremony.
The sisters discover that their mother was stopped by the police on the way home from her job at a restaurant, and deported back to Brazil, where she is from. She evidently had been in the United States illegally for a very long time. Although Elise and Sophia tried their best to get their mother back, hoping because they had both been born in the United States, that would make a difference, however, it did not. Elise stays on the island, taking the same job she had before she left for college so that the sisters could continue their quest to bring their mother back. A friend, Sheba, from college who comes from a wealthy family, inherits her grandfather’s mansion on Nantucket and offers to let Elise live there.
This is a poignant story with insight into the immigration system, inherited wealth and the merit of sisterhood.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

Wait
A Novel
by Gabriella Burnham

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a beautifully written book about siblings. It was a tender, sweet, and sometimes funny book. I even shed a tear or two ,

Sisters…a missing mother…Nantucket…the recipe for a story of intrigue. Family issues…caring for others…this talented author has written a page turner. Experiencing issues that no one should go through…imagine having a mother sent away…spend an afternoon with this cast of characters…difficult issues keep the reader wondering. thanks Netgalley.

A wonderful coming of age novel interwoven with the complex tensions of racism and classism Elise faces in returning to Nantucket. I read this in one sitting!

When Sophie calls her older sister, Elise, to say that their mother is missing, Elise rushes back to Nantucket Island to discover that their mother has been deported back to Brazil. The sisters were both born in America, however, their mother was never granted citizenship as she missed her hearing due to medical issues. After twenty years of living and working in America, their mother still is not safe from deportation.

The book encompasses immigration and wealth inequities equally and true to life. We are given glimpses into the imperfect ways that immigrants are treated and the socioeconomic injustices at play.

This book gives good insight into a broken system while highlighting how those left behind can survive. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a great coming of age story. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is also posted on Goodreads.

A poignant coming of age story for two sisters, Elise and Sophie. When their mom is unexpectedly deported after living in the US for over twenty years, the girls are left picking up the pieces. Elise has just graduated college, and Sophie has just graduated school. They remain in Nantucket, growing and learning together while their mom is half the world away in Brazil.

Gilda, their mother, worked hard to provide for the girls and give them a good life. Now in the wake of her deportation, Elise and Sophie must reconcile their childhood and try to push forward. They are lucky to be sheltered with Elise's wealthy friend from college, Sheba, who lets them live in their Nantucket mansion. As the girls, and their mother, reconfigure their life, they discover themselves and find a new beginning.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me- I like stories about people who have immigrated to the US, coming of age stories, and books about nature. This book had all three. The family of the Brazilian mother and two daughters seemed very realistic to me- the struggles with survival and immigration services difficult to process but every day realities for many people. Despite the hardships the family lived in the wonderful, scenic natural area of Nantucket and it was fun to hear the descriptions of the birds and their nesting habits, and stories of the girls playing on the beach when younger.
I particularly liked the character of Elise as she struggles to determine her future direction and to understand her relationships with Sheba and Rahul.
This is a highly recommended read and the ARC was provided by the publisher, author and NetGalley in exchange for a review

Beautiful setting so well written a story of family of relationships.I enjoyed this story from beginning to end sorry to read the last page.#netgalley #randomhouse.

Awesome writing. Loved the relationship between the two sisters. The scenery was great. Interesting story. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Being set in Nantucket was a start for me on this one, but the story was so much more than that. This one left me thinking about families, lives we lead/leave, and what comes next. The characters in this book had to grow in the process of learning the truth. It was a very interesting read. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one.

This is a coming of age novel for a young woman who has lived life to date somewhat naively, sheltered under the protection of a very wealthy friend. As with any coming of age novel, the costs of what she has enjoyed is something she needs to face before truly growing.

Elise's mother is deported to Brazil on the eve of her college graduation. Her younger sister is unable to hold the household together and she travels home quickly to reconcile with the childhood friends she left behind. There is a lot of familiar emotions and events related to outgrowing your childhood but Elise needs to also deal with structural racism and the classism highlighted by the ultra wealthy that share her Nantucket home.

I loved learning about Elise with Elise and you will too. A perfect novel for any young woman seeking themselves or any of us that remember those first growing pains. #Wait #GarbriellaBurnham .#Randomhouse

Elise is dancing the night away the eve before her college graduation. The culmination of a lot of hard work and sacrifice. She is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her mother and sister from Nantucket Island, when her sister calls with the news that their mother is missing.
Elise immediately leaves for the island only to discover their mother has been deported back to Brazil.


Plans for the future are put on hold, as the girls do whatever they must to reunite with their mother.


A beautiful story of families, young women, immigration, and community.


Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC.


NetGalley/ RHPG/Random House May 21, 2024

What happens when a mother with two daughters lives in one of the wealthiest places in America, Nantucket Island, and she being an illegal immigrant, gets deported leaving her two daughters in America? Gilda is sent back to Brazil where she strengthens her family ties only to leave her children in America behind. This book is a conundrum, beautifully written, it is a heartbreaking story that can be one which plays out across the country. The girls grow up very fast and find where their allegiances are. They move into one of the wealthy family homes, financed by the success of Play-Doh! It's a quick read and heart felt. Read this and empathize with people who might be in that position.