Book Review: ‘Go Ask Fannie’ Looks At The Dysfunction Of A Family And A Look At Their Past

Go Ask Fannie looks at the dysfunction of one family over the course of a weekend. It opens up old wounds and helps answers questions about their past and helps them move forward with their futures.

Murray Blaire, who is 81 years old, asks his three children to come visit for a long weekend in New Hampshire. He wants the two older ones Ruth and George (don’t live in the area) to help him convince his youngest daughter Lizzie (who lives near her dad) to dump the older man she has a ‘friends’ relationship with. The three of them are like oil and water. They argue and bicker constantly.

When Lizzie finally makes an appearance she is asked about their mom’s cookbook by Fannie Farmer. It’s something they share of their late mother’s Lillian(she died when they were young in a snowstorm). There are weird notes written in the book. Her mom would always use recipes from it. When they asked questions she didn’t want to answer she would say ‘Go ask Frannie.’

Ruthie is worried about her dad and thinks they should start looking for a home to put him in. He is against it and the two others don’t think it is necessary yet. The more time they spend together the more they are bickering and opening up old wounds. The story flashes back between the 1984 (when Murray was running for Senate) and 2016. It leads up to when they were on the road campaigning and her writing. She was a force to be reckoned with. They also had another son who died with Lillian. Lizzie who was in the car has always blamed herself for the crash.

When a tragedy strikes the family long hidden secrets are revealed that will forever change the family and will either bring them closer together or tear them apart forever.

For anyone that has issues with their family and dreads having family get together’s you can relate to this (I know I can). I don’t think most families have secrets like this clan does (or maybe they do). It’s a great look at how the past can shape the future and how the political world of 1984 is a whole lot different then it is today (but really it isn’t).

You can pick up Go Ask Fannie in stores on Tuesday, April 10th from G.P. Putnam’s Sons.