One Plus One

by Jojo Moyes

With its road trip full of misfits, this novel may easily be compared to Little Miss Sunshine, but it really is so much more than that. For that matter, so is Little Miss Sunshine.

Meet the family:

• Jess, the mother: a cleaner by day, barmaid by night; just scraping by to support the kids,
• Tanzie: Jess’s math-obsessed daughter and outcast, and
• Nicky: Jess’s Goth stepson, who spends his time fighting off the neighborhood bullies.

When Tanzie is presented with the opportunity of a private school education, Jess is determined to make it happen for her. If only she can scrape together the funds. . . Voila! The perfect opportunity presents itself: Tanzie can compete in a math Olympiad. The first prize is five thousand pounds. But the competition is in Scotland. . .

Enter Ed, one of Jess’s cleaning clients. Through a series of events, he winds up driving the family to Aberdeen, and, of course, becoming one of the family.

I won’t reveal anything more, as readers should enjoy the twists and turns of this alternately touching and humorous novel.

I loved this! While not quite as great as Me Before You, One Plus One addresses real life and its ups and downs. The characters are real and lovable, and the ending is quite satisfying.

10/23/14