Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

“Where We Belong” Book Review

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter.

You know her as the witty author who wrote the  
book-turned-movie “Something Borrowed.” But Emily Giffin is back for her sixth novel, “Where We Belong,” and she has taken on a slightly new tone and plot.

“Where We Belong” is a heartfelt novel that is guaranteed to test your tear ducts. Giffin’s book begins with 36-year-old Marian Caldwell from New York City. Her life turned to glitz and glam over the years when she fought her way to the top by becoming the producer of her own major television sitcom. She has the perfect job, the perfect apartment and the perfect boyfriend, but a secret from her past is bound to change the ideal life she has sculpted.

That secret shows up at her doorstep as an 18-year-old girl wearing a peace sign necklace. Kirby Rose: the daughter Marian gave up for adoption when she was just 18 years old herself. Kirby is unknown to everyone in Marian’s life besides her mother.             
                                            
Though a loving and caring family adopted Kirby, she always felt like something was missing. She had a hard time making friends, was always in her sister’s shadow and felt pressured to go to Mizzou (great choice, Emily!) upon graduation despite her lack of enthusiasm for academics. Therefore, she decides it’s only appropriate to track down her mother, the woman she never met and knows nothing about. Only then will she discover her past and who she really is.

“Where We Belong” is a story of adoption, but it is also a story of two women finding their place in the world, rectifying past mistakes and starting new relationships. Even though Giffin gives us a heart-wrenching story, she never fails to entertain as she incorporates her quirky comments into the novel. Be prepared to clear your schedule because you will not want to put this one down.

Have you read, “Where We Belong”? Give us your rating in our comments below!

Allison Goldberg is a junior at the University of Missouri double majoring in strategic communication journalism with an emphasis in PR and marketing and psychology. In Columbia, she is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha women's fraternity executive council and is a Rent the Runway campus rep. During her spare time you can find her shopping, spending time with her friends and family, running outside or reading a fashion magazine. Allison has interned at a social media firm, BCV Evolve in Chicago for the past two summers. She hopes to work for a fashion PR firm in Chicago or New York when she graduates and eventually travel to South America.