One Two Three
By Laurie Frankel
398 pages
What’s it about?
Mab, Monday, and Mirabel Mitchell are 16-year-old triplets (they refer to each other as One, Two, and Three). One is typical, two is on the autism spectrum, and three can not move a muscle but is a genius. They were born in the small town of Bourne, not long after the water started to turn green from the new chemical plant in town. Their mother Nora has spent the last seventeen years trying to build a legal case against this company. When a new family comes to town and begins the process of reopening the plant the Mitchell triplets take action.
What did it make me think about?
This story makes you think about all the damage we are doing to our bodies and we don’t even know it. I was just reading a story in the paper about high blood pressure in women being caused by “forever chemicals” in our drinking water. So, maybe these stories are more common than we know….
Should I read it?
So each chapter is narrated by a different sister. At about page 70 I finally got the rhythm of each narrator and the story took off for me then. Laurie Frankel is so talented at creating unique voices for each character she writes. She captures being 16-years-old really well and manages to convey the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, as well as between sisters. The middle part of the book is especially compelling. I think lots of readers will enjoy this story.Quote-
“There are so many people who have sinned a little and a lot. There are so many people who deserve the blame. But that means there is never anyone whose responsibility it is to take responsibility. There is no one who must make it right, no one who must make amends. There is so much, therefore, that stays wrong and unmended.” “So we look different. But we’re all poor. We’re all poisoned. We’re all tired- of this place, each other, our options. Our sisters. We’re all here, and we’re all stuck, and we’re all stuck here. Not that you can tell any of that from looking.”What’s it about?
Mab, Monday, and Mirabel Mitchell are 16-year-old triplets (they refer to each other as One, Two, and Three). One is typical, two is on the autism spectrum, and three can not move a muscle but is a genius. They were born in the small town of Bourne, not long after the water started to turn green from the new chemical plant in town. Their mother Nora has spent the last seventeen years trying to build a legal case against this company. When a new family comes to town and begins the process of reopening the plant the Mitchell triplets take action.
What did it make me think about?
This story makes you think about all the damage we are doing to our bodies and we don’t even know it. I was just reading a story in the paper about high blood pressure in women being caused by “forever chemicals” in our drinking water. So, maybe these stories are more common than we know….
Should I read it?
So each chapter is narrated by a different sister. At about page 70 I finally got the rhythm of each narrator and the story took off for me then. Laurie Frankel is so talented at creating unique voices for each character she writes. She captures being 16-years-old really well and manages to convey the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, as well as between sisters. The middle part of the book is especially compelling. I think lots of readers will enjoy this story.
Quote-
“There are so many people who have sinned a little and a lot. There are so many people who deserve the blame. But that means there is never anyone whose responsibility it is to take responsibility. There is no one who must make it right, no one who must make amends. There is so much, therefore, that stays wrong and unmended.”
“So we look different. But we’re all poor. We’re all poisoned. We’re all tired- of this place, each other, our options. Our sisters. We’re all here, and we’re all stuck, and we’re all stuck here. Not that you can tell any of that from looking.”
