Seventeen-year-old Nora Holmes is an artist, a painter from the moment she could hold a brush. She inherited the skill from her grandfather, Robert, who’s always nurtured Nora’s talent and encouraged her to follow her passion. Still, Nora is shocked and elated when Robert offers her a gift: an all-expenses-paid summer trip to Europe to immerse herself in the craft and to study history’s most famous artists. The only catch? Nora has to create an original piece of artwork at every stop and send it back to her grandfather. It’s a no-brainer: Nora is in!
Unfortunately, Nora’s mother, Alice, is less than thrilled about the trip. She worries about what the future holds for her young, idealistic daughter - and her opinions haven’t gone unnoticed. Nora couldn’t feel more unsupported by her mother, and in the weeks leading up to the trip, the women are as disconnected as they’ve ever been. But seconds after saying goodbye to Alice at the airport terminal, Nora hears a voice call out: “Wait! Stop! I’m coming with you!”
Initial thoughts: Travel and art sounded like a very promising combination, which is why I couldn't wait to pick up And We're Off. I loved how seriously Nora took her artistic pursuits and that she had a grandfather who fully supported her. Throw in a summer art programme and visiting places significant to the visual arts, and I was hooked. This, however, was only half the plot.
The other half was all about her mother unexpectedly tagging along and the conflicts that arouse as a result. The reasons for this were supposed to add a surprising twist but really? It was evident from the get-go, just not to Nora who couldn't put two and two together. It was nice seeing how their relationship improved as summer wore on but with all the whining involved, I got rather tired of that aspect of And We're Off.
The narrator didn't help much either but the audiobook still was good company as I went about my chores this afternoon.
