Reese’s Book Club The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel by Laura Dave, A Review

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I know I am a few days late to the game on this, but I just finished the May Pick from Reese’s Book Club. Yes, that Reese, Reese Witherspoon, our favorite actress from Biggest Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere, both amazing series, both based on amazing books. I am loving that she has a book club because each and every book selected focuses on a woman and has a story that is worthy of another new amazing series. Here’s a bit about Reese’s Book Club, from their website:

“Okay, we're a little biased but hear us out. Each month, Reese, our founder (and book-lover-in-chief) chooses a book with a woman at the center of the story. There's not a formula to the books we spotlight, and we like it that way. We make our choices thoughtfully and look for ways to deepen our connection to books, authors and ourselve” (Reese’s Book Club, Who We Are).

For May the book club pick was The Last Thing He Told Me, A Novel by Laura Dave. And for those wondering, yes, it has already been picked up to be optioned for film or television. I finished the book in two days so the idea of it being something on screen is already exciting and something I can’t wait for.

The book picks up fast. Dave’s writing really pulls you in, catches you, and feels like a fast paced binge watch as is. It is no wonder that in her author biography, Dave mentions that five of her novels have been optioned for film or television.

The core characters are Hannah, a 40 something professional woodturner and Bailey, the teenage daughter of Hannah’s husband, Owen. It opens with the shocker: Owen is gone. He left Hannah a note, and he’s gone. We quickly find out that on top of Owen being missing in action, the company he worked for is all over the news for being the next big Ponzi scheme. Was Owen involved? Was he guilty? Is this why he ran? Or is it something more?

The novel takes us through Hannah’s efforts to find Owen, to figure out the truth, and to uncover mystery after mystery in the process. The one thing that remains true is that Bailey has to be protected at all costs. Her needs have to be put first. But as it would happen, Bailey and Hannah have a rocky relationship.

Dave’s takes us through their process of becoming a family, pursuing a mission and healing from major traumas. Hannah is witty, strong, and an admirable stepmom. Bailey is a teen girl who wants to find her dad, but also wants to find out who she really is.

The ending is a bit of a twist, but it feels right. To find out more, pick up a copy of the book at your local booksellers, or head over to the website for The Last Thing He Told Me.

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