Mameve Medwed (–2021)

Oy, I had such hopes. There were enough quirky details that I loved (the "samwiches," the small town characters) and the drama of the tension between Annie and Sam was good. But... I was surprised that SO much of the plot was about Annie's failure to have a child. In fact, I actually blew a raspberry at the epilogue when that's all it took to make her life perfect again. GROAN. I absolutely hate the cliche of female characters whose only real goal in life is to become a mother. I realize a show more lot of women identify with the pursuit of having children, but I don't and I find it lazy storytelling. It just simplifies an interesting and complex plot line to throw "and her main goal in life is to have a child and she resents everyone around her who has" into the mix. I feel there are more than enough books that cover the topic of thwarted motherhood; we need more for the rest of us for whom that's not our defining concept. Bottom line- I was disappointed that this book veered so far into cliche. If it wasn't for that, I would've really enjoyed it. But as it stands, I wouldn't recommend unless you're really into mommy track stories. show less

Passamaquoddy, Maine. Famous, at least to me, because of Pete's Dragon, the movie from the late seventies. It's also the setting for Mameve Medwed's sweet, easy novel about love, death, and what's most important in life.

Annie is married to Sam, her high school sweetheart, and together they own Annie's Samwich Shop, a locally famous eatery. Sam, despite his goofy incompetence at tasks most adults can accomplish with their eyes shut, has been there for Annie always, supporting her after her show more beloved father died and grieving with her through miscarriages and the still birth of their daughter. But when Annie receives a diagnosis of possible terminal lung cancer, she cannot bring herself to insist her husband have a serious discussion with her about her health, deciding to tell him only after her future appointment with a specialist. Instead of telling him about the grim diagnosis, she starts writing him an instruction manual called Life Minus Me: A User's Guide so she can know he'll be able to navigate everyday life without her. She hides the manual in her underwear drawer where her flamboyant, overbearing actress mother, Ursula, in town to receive an award, finds it. Their relationship is more antagonistic than anything else, with Annie frustrated by what she sees as her mother's constant narcissism, but when Ursula pulls strings to get Annie into a hot shot oncologist in NYC, Annie agrees to go to the city with Ursula without telling Sam what is going on. The trip, which extends longer than planned and results in more answers than expected, gives Annie and her mother time to work toward understanding and reconciliation with each other as well as a change in perspective for Annie.

The story of a woman given a terrible diagnosis and deciding to help her husband out once she is gone is not new. It's not even fiction if you've seen the news in the past few years. But for as long as Annie and Sam have been together, her inability to ask him to comfort her in this scary time is troubling and his continued incompetence (or is it enabled haplessness?) is not cute. They, and their marriage, come off as far more immature than their ages would assume. There is some conflict here, between Annie and her mother and Annie and Sam, based in large part on misunderstandings but everything is a little too easy, too tidy, and all ends are tied up neatly in the Hallmark-y epilogue. The writing is well done but somehow Annie and Sam don't inspire the laughter and tears that they should. Or maybe it's me being too cynical for the heartwarming, happily ever after. ::shrug:: I suggest you read it yourself and see if you agree with me. show less

Maisie Grey is divorced and raising her teen son, Tommy, in a modest but nice apartment. Her ex-mother-in-law, Ina, however, cannot step away from criticizing, belittling and otherwise insinuating herself into Maisie's life. Ina's excuse is her “darling grandson” whose private-school tuition she insists on paying for.

To her credit, Maisie, has tried to move on after her divorce from Rex. She has her own business – serving as a personal assistant to a variety of clients (from a Harvard show more professor to a pair of wealthy spinster sisters), and has been dating an attorney. But when Tommy introduces her to his new girlfriend, September Silva, Maisie and Ina finally agree on something – the girl is totally unsuitable. Or is she?

This is a comedy of manners with modern complications – custody battles, unfit (or unwilling) mothers, meddlesome mothers-in-law, unfaithful spouses, the Goth craze. Maisie has to decide if she will trust her son, an intelligent, generous, “good” kid or become a clone of Ina. Remembering how difficult her ex-MIL has always made things for her, Maisie is determined to act differently, to give September the benefit of the doubt and try to truly understand bother her son and this multi-pierced, skull-ring-wearing stranger who seems to be encouraging Tommy to join her in dropping out of school to become a musician.

The characters ring true, if a bit over the top at times. It's a quick, entertaining read. show less

Mameve Medwed's newest novel, Minus Me, revolves around a woman in her late 30s named Annie. She has faced heartbreak in her life in the form of several miscarriages and a still birth as well as the loss of her father. She and her husband Sam despite their losses have a solid relationship and are successful partners in their own business. Annie receives news from her doctor that she most likely has lung cancer. He advises her to get her affairs in order and to get more opinions on her show more condition. Instead of biting the bullet and telling her husband Sam about her illness, she instead decides to keep it from him. She loves him even though she knows that she and his mother have spoiled him by doing so much for him. She knows that he will have a hard time and starts to write a guide for him to use after she is gone in order to navigate life without her.

I liked this book. I liked the humor it was written with amidst the serious topics included in the story. I'll admit I was frustrated by Annie and the way she dealt with her situation, however, I reminded myself that when faced with cancer people all choose to deal in the best way they know how at the time. Who am I to judge. The book was written in a way that Annie's feelings felt genuine throughout. While I enjoyed the writing, I did get a little bogged down in a few spots. The ending was satisfying. 3.5 stars. I would recommend this book. I think it would make an excellent book club selection with ample discussion options.

My sincere thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Minus Me and give my unbiased opinion of it. show less