Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

Life on the Refrigerator Door

by Alice Kuipers

Mom,

I went to the store. See inside the fridge. I watered the plants. I cleaned out Peter's cage. I tidied the sitting room. And the kitchen. And I did the washing up.

I'm going to bed.

Your live-in servant,

Claire

'Life on the Refrigerator Door' is told exclusively through notes exchanged by Claire and her mother, Elizabeth, during the course of a life-altering year. Their story builds to an emotional crescendo when Elizabeth is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Stunningly sad but ultimately uplifting, this is a clever, moving, and original portrait of the relationship between a daughter and mother. It is about how we live our lives constantly rushing, and never making time for those we love. It is also an elegy to how much can be said in so few words, if only we made the time to say them.

Reviewed by sstaley on

4 of 5 stars

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A very moving story that makes you think about your
relationship with your child/children and the time you spend with them. This had me crying at the end...grab the tissues.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 August, 2008: Finished reading
  • 28 August, 2008: Reviewed