One Two Three by Laurie Frankel; 15 hours on Libby Audio book

 I found this title as one recommended by the librarians on Libby when I was hunting for something substantial for my long solo drive north for Yolanda's 75th birthday party. This was a happy choice--it really held my interest and had an amazing plot and great characters; wit and charm, harsh realities, and overall enjoyable though heavy at times...

There are many themes in this story. Holding on to pain is the one that stood out for me; how the chemical plant's devastation caused Nora, the mother in this book, could not and would not move on. And yet, in the end, it served her. I kept likening her obsession to lack of forgiveness, but it was also a crusade to right a wrong. It's a great reminder that black and white issues have many nuances and perspectives. This author did an amazing job of illuminating the many points of view and many human mistakes that make up a complicated issue.

I loved, loved, loved the characters. All of them. The triplets, especially. Each one. And the humor and puns and plot twists were just brilliant. Yes, there is some non-gratuitous swearing, but not too much. There's swearing under duress and it feels justified. 

The way parental love and acceptance are described is beautiful. And the way it's illustrated through Nora and especially her daughter Mirabel is heartening. I especially loved how Mirabel recognized that this was a gift that was more valuable than River's riches. River is the young man in the story who is also very real and very 16. 

Mirabel's thoughts on her disability are enlightening. The closeness of the sisters is beautiful. The autistic social interactions of Monday are often hilarious, and often poignant, because they invite others to be as clear and honest as she is. 

Another theme that resonated with me was the dissatisfaction with life in Borne...nothing to do, a no-where, no-good hovel, in the eyes of the 16 year olds. I loved the Pooh, and the teachers in the run down school--all real, all human, all flawed, all sometimes funny, and all drawn with empathy. 

The dilemma of the mayor...the political problems, the library turned home turned library, Monday's obsession with yellow and how that pays off in the equipment at the end, the word play on dam vs. damn...so very clever and brilliant!

Sometimes, however, the greed of the chemical plant players was heavy and depressing. I don't like to think that such greed and lack of oversight is reality. I hope it isn't. At any rate, it gave me a lot to think about. I loved this audio book and loved how the three sisters told the story. It was easy to keep them straight because of the different voices. Mirabel's machine voice was fascinating because it showed how limited her outward was from the rich inward life...yet her family knew all of her. Very sweet.

And the way Mab's love for River grew and blossomed was very sweetly told. That was another unfolding that was very relatable. Yes, it's a LONG audio book. But very worth it!!!