Overview

This is the journey of four sisters who, as children, asked ""Are we there yet?"" each summer as they sweated and squabbled their way to Wells Beach, Maine, in the back seat of the family's '59 Impala. Like Seinfeld, theirs is a story about ""nothing"" yet a story about everything that shaped women of their generations. Good-naturedly dubbing themselves the ""Stunning Smith Sisters"", they shared iconic childhood adventures in Connecticut and teen-age summers in Maine so magical that they never wanted to leave. Filled with moments of sweet nostalgia, it's also a story of divisive family secrets with which each sister must learn to cope in her own way. Spanning different generations, the sisters have misunderstandings that put a strain on their relationships. They come of age when abortion was illegal, when a woman couldn't get a credit card without a husband to co-sign, when sexual harassment was thought of as ""a joke"". They find their voices during the Civil Rights movement, the Beatles, and Vietnam. The sisters have loved and been betrayed, faced down cancer and epilepsy, fallen and gotten back up, cried a bit and laughed a lot. They've traveled the world, made first tracks in the snow, and spent carefree summer days ""upta camp"". It hasn't always been easy; theirs has been a bumpy road trip through life. A strong sense of place impacts each of their stories. Each sister must find her own ""home"", a place of safety and security which wasn't always present in childhood. They must learn to be resilient in the face of the unexpected. They must grapple with questions of jealousy, of truth, of forgiveness. Can they maintain their sisterly bond in spite of their differences and divergent futures?

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9798995195719

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Reviews

""In Are We There Yet?, Cheryl Smith Lawson takes readers on a journey through childhood, sisterhood, and the long road toward healing. Growing up in mid-century New England with three sisters, Cheryl remembers the laughter of family road trips, summers in Maine, and the familiar question from the back seat: ""Are we there yet?"" Beneath happy memories lies a complex story marked by loss, family struggles, and the necessary resilience to keep moving forward. With honesty, warmth, and moments of humor, Lawson reflects on the joys and hardships that shaped her life and the strong bond between sisters who weathered it all together. Moving between past and present, she explores how memory, forgiveness, and time help us make sense of where we've been - and where we are still going. Are We There Yet? is a heartfelt memoir about family, survival, and the realization that life's journey is rarely a straight road, but one that ultimately leads us toward love, understanding, forgiveness, and hope."" -Jeanne Cahiil, author of Call Me Jeanne

Author Information

Cheryl Lawson is a mom, wife, and adventurous spirit who lives with her husband, Hank, in a little red house near the sea in Maine. A child of the 50s and 60s, and the oldest of the self-proclaimed four ""Stunning Smith Sisters"" raised in Connecticut, her family's stories echo those of many women of their generation. The mother of a child with a seizure disorder, she served on the Epilepsy Foundation of America's National Board for 12 years and remains active in politics and advocacy for people with special needs. Retired from teaching English and special education, Cheryl loves to travel and meet new people. In honor of her father, she continues to frustrate herself weekly with the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle.

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