Nora Holmes has always been in love with art. With the support from her role models who have made a living from their art, Nora has dreamed of becoming a professional visual poet since she was first able to hold a paintbrush. With the help of her wealthy grandfather, she sets out on an all-expenses paid trip through Europe. The only thing she is asked to do is follow the instructions given to her that correspond with each place she visits. The end result is an internal study of Nora’s artist style, which will help her find her way as an artist.

"Just from reading this book, I felt like I traveled through Europe with Nora. As my review reflects, this is book is on my favorites list. It was very down to earth and seemed very relatable...."

However, there’s a catch. Her mother does not share this same desire to let her daughter pursue such a risky life style. She would rather Nora find an “actual” job and continue art as a hobby. Nora has never felt the support she wanted from her mother, especially after her parents’ harsh divorce. She has grown accustomed to the natural mother-daughter emotional split they have lived with, and is excited to explore the world on her own. So when she hears her mother yell down the airport terminal that she’ll be joining her on the Europe trip, she is not ready for the adventure that awaits her.

AND WE’RE OFF is a fun, humorous story that follows the adventure of a teenager trying to find herself, with the constant reminder that her mother is right by her side. It’s beautifully written and reminds me of “Gilmore Girls.” Although the mother daughter relationship is not as strong in the book compared to the TV show, Nora and her mother have the same chemistry as Lorelai and Rory. The relationship is based off of the need to become one’s self but also the natural familial dependency on each other.

This book will make you feel a strong sense of wanderlust. I found myself looking up the places Nora visited, and they’re now documented on my bucket list. This read was such a good inspiration to go travel and see new places. The description of Nora’s documented travels through her art made me want to start my own journal and travel to new, enriching places.

The only thing I would want to see more of in this book would be more description of the relationships between her friends. Even this book is more about the relationship between mother and daughter, more friendship details may help round out the story. With this aside, AND WE’RE OFF was a super quick read and I completely recommend it to anyone who may deal with some parental relationship difficulties, or just has the wish to travel places. Just from reading this book, I felt like I traveled through Europe with Nora. As my review reflects, this is book is on my favorites list. It was very down to earth and seemed very relatable; I strongly recommend this easy read to anyone who is down for an adventure.