The Essential Charlotte

by Libby Schmais

Charlotte thought she was fine. After a childhood spent traveling around the world with her eccentric artist mother, she is content to have a quiet life, make herbal remedies, and play video games.

But when her mother dies in a bizarre sculpture accident, Charlotte's life is turned upside down. Before she even has time to grasp the reality of her mother's death, her supposedly dead father appears and they are forced to live together to satisfy the terms of her mother's will.

Reluctantly living in Soho with a father she has never met before, Charlotte begins to change in unexpected ways, even pursing her hidden desire to take acting class.

Will Charlotte survive her mother's legacy, let alone a year with this stranger? Are there enough herbal remedies in the world to save her?

In The Essential Charlotte, author Libby Schmais displays the same warmth, wit, and honesty that created so many fans of The Perfect Elizabeth. At its core, The Essential Charlotte is a novel about family and the strange and marvelous ways that it makes you who you are.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Womens Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2003

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of "chick lit" books, but I picked this one up at my library book sale (mostly because I have a daughter named Charlotte.) This one was an ok read - I enjoyed the story line of Charlotte getting to know her father. However, (and this may be a problem with chick lit in general) I didn't like the romantic/love interest side of the story - I found it crude and unnecessary.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Perfect Elizabeth, and immediately after reading it, I added The Essential Charlotte to my wishlist. I don't know I put off reading this for so long....I think I just set it in my towering TBR and forgot about it.

I pulled it out earlier this week. What a lovely summer read! Nothing deep here, but great characters and a gentle plot. Glad I finally read this one.

[Margaret]

This was ... okay. It seemed a bit dull in parts and took some time to get into it. The last third of the book was the best and I did like the ending, surprisingly.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Amazon review: An easy, fun read along the lines of other "pink books" out these days, The Essential Charlotte is different because of its sense of innocence and its Jane Austen-ish portrayal of modern-day daily life.

Whether intended or not, Schmais has managed to fit in all the mundane daily activities of most professional, single women of today's world - work and career, dating and the search for a partner, reproductive issues and decisions, dysfunctional family dynamics, the loss of parents - and create an image of life in society as a middle-class white, female.

In the process, Schmais tells a sweet, sometimes funny story of Charlotte's quest for happiness (mirrored through her favorite computer game and spurred on by the voice of her dead mother).

While I cannot credit Schmais with Austen's biting satirical and political undercurrents, The Essential Charlotte is fun and, although there is some sex, would be a good choice for that set of teen readers who are past juvenile fiction but still like a happy ending.
Comment Comment | Permalink

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Essential Charlotte by Libby Schmais: Yes, I decided to give her another chance. She's a really good writer aside from the my-not-so-favorite-ending from The Perfect Elizabeth. I liked Charlotte. In fact, what I liked about Elizabeth and Charlotte were that they were fairly normal people. I really wanted to like Colin, and in general don't think hot guys with accents should be the bad guys, but that's just my opinion. The whole Covington/Paul thing was a little different, and why does everyone kiss each other? Is that really what people do in the big city? I wish there was more of an explanation given for why Corinne wanted Charlotte and Michael to live together for a year. Sorry, I'm tearing it apart, but I actually like this story; much better than Elizabeth. Highlights: Charlotte's cool job and remedies; Colin's hot accent and smoky looks (I have a fantastic imagination); having the nerve to go to acting class.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just read this book in November and can't really remember the story line. I'm reading the back paragraph and still nothing is ringing any bells. Not a good sign is it? Reading the back it says Charlotte's mother dies and in her will discloses that Charlotte's father is alive (she had always been told that he was dead) and in order for Charlotte to inherit her mother's fortune she and her father must live together in her mother's house for a year. Guess I need to reread this book because I honestly do not remember the story and it has only been 3 months since I read it. That is sad!

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I SO wanted an easy read to relax and was hoping to have to do VERY little thinking while reading--well, this did the trick, however, I couldn't get past the fact that the aurthor used NO contractions--seriously "You are not serious!" "You can not mean that!" It was weird--I didn't like that at all.

[Shalyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps it was a light year for library fiction, or maybe I just didn't look closely enough. But I found this book which is kind of about a librarian, although that aspect of her life seems to have little effect on the overall story -- she could have been a technical writer or an actuary or any kind of stereotypically quiet, mousy kind of professional.

[Mrsstuds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my motherless sisters might appreciate the book as I know I like books I can relate to. Otherwise, the book flowed well but didn't do much for me in the end. That said, it did keep me asking myself, "How is this going to end?"

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main fault with this book is that it had a stop, but not an end.

[katen moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Funny. Original. Mother from hell (dead)