The Difference Between Us

by Sheri Zeck

Kate Bauer is ready to scrap her so-called perfect life. Her husband, Adam, is more concerned with climbing the corporate ladder than spending time with his family. This leaves Kate with the day-to-day challenges of raising their two kids, like figuring out why their eight-year-old son can't seem to make friends, and controlling their twelve-year-old daughter, whose entire world revolves around her friends.

When Adam's overbearing boss requires him to volunteer for a community service project, he is assigned to help Jimmy, a 55-year-old social outcast with a mental disability. Before long, Jimmy monopolizes Adam's time and attention, driving Kate and Adam even further apart.

Seeking a distraction, Kate cleans out her beloved grandparents’ farmhouse. She finds comfort in sweet childhood memories until she discovers a heartbreaking family secret.

As Kate struggles with the truth, she questions everything she's ever believed about her past, her marriage, and the ridiculous dream of living happily ever after.

326 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[(Katie) Paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful feel-good book! It challenges you to consider how we view people who are different from us. I love Jimmy and it was great to see each member of the family form a connection with him!
Is there going to be a sequel?? What happens to the farm and motel??

[Brianna Bachman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book -maybe this doesn’t make sense but it felt like a big hug lol. A really sweet book with an eye opening message.

[Erin Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a good book that also helps you reflect on yourself you’re in the right place! This was a fantastic story that really gets you thinking about how we treat those around us. Not only people we don’t know who might seem very different than us at first, but also those we spend every day with. This was a great reminder that you never fully know what’s going on in other peoples heads and lives and that we’re all human figuring life out for the first time.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

This is a debut novel. It got better for me as the book went on because although at first it read like a very familiar story (woman disenchanted with life as a stay at home mother with growing kids and a husband busy at work, it got better for me as we got to know Jimmy. (At the end of the book I found out that Jimmy is based on a real person her husband volunteered with.) Jimmy has the intellect of a third-grader but lives on his own; Adam Bauer volunteers to help him balance his cheque book in what he thought was a one-time deal that was actually for three months. Eventually Jimmy meets the entire family--this is all you get to know from me without reading the book.

Overall the book was well edited and didn't read "self-published." It will be interesting to see Zeck grow as an author as she continues to write. I'd say that the reviewer who called this a "feel-good" book is correct.

[Grace Godwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Sheri’s writings for a long time, so was delighted when she wrote and published this book. It’s a good read!

[Meagan Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5