When I picked this book I thought I had an idea about story. The title suggesting a book about a several Laura's, but it wasn't. It was a story about Alex a gender neutral kid who leaves his childhood home with his mother in the middle of the night and leaving his father behind. Again you expect the reasons for leaving to be the story - it's not. This book is a road trip of discovery for Alex learning more about his mothers past and how this shaped her present. both travel through various states meeting allies and foes with equal vigour all whilst Alex goes through the emotions of adolescence from child to adult. You see this trip both change mother and kid - bonding them in such a way that you realise they really are alike in many ways.
This book is full of twists and turns but you have a satisfied feeling at the end mixed with a little cabin fever of your own. It's definitely a good holiday read and would like to read more of Sara Taylor's work.

Thanks to Net Galley & Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
From Virginia to California Ma & Alex ride. Sleeping in the truck, cheap motels and the occasional temporary apartment. Ma shares her own teenage stories and her friendship tales about the Laura's along the road.
It takes two years to reach their destination and they encounter some of Ma's past friends on their travels. Alex has a lot of time on her hands as Ma picks up jobs & works as many shifts as possible. Alex attends school during term times but struggles to fit in & struggles with gender and identity.
At their destination Alex had itchy feet and returns home to find Dad, but isn't long with Dad when the need to be on the road again sets in.
A story of travels, past & present experiences and finding oneself.

I started out really enjoying this road trip book. It built gently and subtlety. The trouble was I didn't really feel it developed into anything more. I was left with a lot of questions at the end of it. Having said that, it was beautifully written and, having read the reviews of Sara Taylor's 'The Shore', I'm keen to add this to my reading list.

This is an incredible book. It is one of those books where there is little action, but you are riveted from page one.
It is a book about coming of age, a road trip and the discovery that our parents are actually people too.
I loved the subplot about sexuality and gender. Throughout the book I assumed that Alex was a girl, but she (he?)refuses to be categorised as either a boy or a girl. By the end of the book I wondered whether I was wrong and Alex was in fact a boy - but then why does it matter? It doesn't.

The writing is excellent and the story of Alex' mother slowly comes out as they travel through the places of her past and we start to understand her through her interactions with a string of girls called Laura at different points in her life.
This unravelling is exquisitely done, and this is one of those novels that will stay with you for a long time.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

A slow burn of a story as Ma’s story of the role played by the Lauras in her wanderings come to light.
The story is told retrospectively though Alex’s remembrances some 30 years after the events. Alex was 13 when the story starts, 16 when it ends, and we gradually learn about the important happenings that have caused Ma to set out now, across the USA by car, with all their belongings in the trunk.
We learn of Ma’s grandparents and parents and their problems and how that affected her. We learn of her feet that have always wanted to wander – as do Alex’s – since she was a small child, and the many attempts she made to set off into the far blue yonder. And how she encountered the Lauras along the way.
We also discover that Ma’s sexual preferences have been confused since she was young – or perhaps she was bi-sexual – and that Alex prefers not to identify with any gender ( not trans, but rather no gender preference).
I was initially inclined to give this road trip novel a 5 star ranking but then decided 4 was more appropriate. Why didn’t Alex make more of a fuss when forced to eat granola all the time rather than real food, or be hungry, cold and dirty without proper toilets and without a bed? My own experiences of bringing up both a teenage boy and girl is that the boy was always hungry and a bear when not fed, and the girl needed comfort and proper bathroom. So neither would like a 3 year long road trip! So Alex comes over as rather an improbable character.
That said, I liked the writing style and the slow unfolding of Ma’s stories and life experiences.

Unfortunately, not my sort of thing. I found it hard to identify with the two main characters, finding them cold and unsympathetic. The other characters seemed two dimensional and didn't add much to the narrative.
I do understand that the whole point is that the road trip was depressing and mostly uneventful, but that made it hard for me to engage with it.
I am sure others will love this book, but it's not for me.