Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman

A Four-Star Book Review

Other People’s Houses is the third Abbi Waxman book I’ve read, and it did not disappoint. I love Ms. Waxman’s fast-paced writing style with witty characters, great internal monologues, and realistic situations. She’s definitely an author I’ll continue to follow.

Summary of Other People’s Houses (No Spoilers)

Other People’s Houses centers on France’s Bloom, super mom and carpool driver extraordinaire. She knows all the schedules for all the kids in her neighborhood and helps everyone when she can, which often leads to knowing more about her neighbors than anticipated. But when France makes the stunning discovery of her neighbor in a compromising position with someone other than her husband, Frances realizes that there are even more secrets in the neighborhood than she originally thought. As the characters share their own views of neighborhood life, Other People’s Houses is an engaging inside look at adulting and parenthood with Ms. Waxman’s classic humor and realism combined.

What I Enjoyed about Other People’s Houses

Here are a few reasons Other People’s Houses was a winning read for me:

• The concept: Who doesn’t wonder about others’ lives around them? This book addresses complex issues within each family in a supposedly quiet neighborhood. It reminded me of Desperate Housewives without the over-the-top soap opera drama, sad clichés, and poor acting (sorry, DH).

• Real-life observations: Ms. Waxman continues to deliver her astute observations about parenting and adulthood in Other People’s Houses. She is one of the best authors who can explore the mundane while bringing life characters. From Frances’s daily routine of carpool dropoff to the (IMO) hell of Saturday soccer fields, Ms. Waxman easily captures real life as a parent in a poignant and often humorous way.

• Multiple points of view. As I’ve shared before, I love a book with multiple POVs because of the expanded scope that these bring to a story. Other People’s Houses doesn’t just introduce a variety of voices, but we get viewpoints from all sorts of characters, both loveable and not.

My Final Thoughts about Other People’s Houses

If you’re looking for a book that brings life to forty-something relationships, parenting, and life decisions, then Other People’s Houses is a good choice for you. Abbi Waxman delivers a great story with incredible heart and a lot of humor, too.