The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

Book Review

Before I go into this review, I wanted to share that I have been going through books like candy. I’ve been reading A LOT since buying my Kindle (around 4 days ago?), seeing as I’ve already finished 2 books (The Gifted School and The Overdue Life of Amy Byler). I’m honestly really impressed with myself for this newfound drive to read and read quickly. Also, the fact that we are quarantined right now because of COVID-19 makes me feel like it’s ok to spend more time with my nose buried in a book/Kindle. But anyway, all this to say that I used to be a non-believer in e-books, but this Kindle has made me one of its biggest fans!

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is a really sweet (and surprisingly funny) book about a semi-well-adjusted middle-aged mom who goes on a short adventure of self-discovery. While the main character, Amy, is often times filled with self-doubt and haunted by a troubled past, she is surrounded by people who all love her to pieces and would do anything for her. And on top of it all, she also finds the perfect romance in New York City. Even though it all feels a bit unrealistically perfect, I'm ok with it, because there's a bigger metaphor going on here about the sacrifices moms make for the sake of meeting social expectations. It's ok to ask for help sometimes and take some time for self-love, and that shouldn't detract from a mom's self worth! I think this message is really important and being explored a lot more in our generation. Overall, I was swept away by the easy prose and witty dialogue in this story and found this to be a quick and enjoyable read.