ON TURPENTINE LANE (2017)

On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1999 I stumbled upon The Inn at Lake Devine and chose it to be featured at a Reader's Advisory Workshop where I was speaking. Elinor Lipman turned out to be a 'life author' for me. Her stories are what I call literate chic-lit but they are more than that.

Here's what I wrote in an earlier review on my blog:

She is the Jane Austen of her time. Language, dialogue and sentences are precise and exactly right. And you will want to be friends with all her characters. She deals with what could be uncomfortable topics that are part of our lives in a way that makes them palatable.

THE FIRST LINE: "If I hadn't been naive and recklessly trusting, would I ever have purchased number 10 Turpentine Lane, a chronic headache masquerading as a charming bungalow?"

THE STORY: Faith Frankel has returned to her hometown at the age of thirty-two to work for her private school writing thank you notes to wealthy donors. In the meantime, her fiance has abandoned her and is finding himself on a cross country walk. He's too busy to get in touch with her but posts pictures of himself with the women he is meeting on his trek. Luckily Faith has support from her office mate Nick Franconi. (Can you see where this is going?)

WHAT I THOUGHT: This screwball romantic comedy is funny, poignant, and a little outrageous. If you want a lovely, well-written escape from today's politics, you can't go wrong with Elinor Lipman. Highly recommended.

Title: On Turpentine Lane

Author: Elinor Lipman

Genre: Chic-Lit

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

No. of Pages: 320

Copyright: February 14, 2017

ISBN-10: 054480824X

ISBN-13: 978-0544808249

Disclaimer: An advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book was provided to me by Houghton Mifflin and Net Galley for an honest review.

ELINOR LIPMAN is the author of ten novels, including The View from Penthouse B and The Inn at Lake Devine; one essay collection, I Can’t Complain; and Tweet Land of Liberty: Irreverent Rhymes from the Political Circus. She lives in Massachusetts and New York City. (from Amazon.com)

Short Takes 9/15/2016

Becky Masterman has a new thriller featuring Brigid Quinn, a retired FBI agent pushing 60. coming out March 21, 2017. You can read what I had to say about her earlier books HERE.

I am currently reading Elinor Lipman's On Turpentine Lane. It lays down on February 14, 2017. I've read and enjoyed many of her chic-lit novels. You can read my comments on earlier titles HERE.

Love cozy mysteries? Have you discovered Wendy Sand Eckel yet? Her series features Rosalie Hart, who escapes to Maryland's Eastern Shore to build a new life when she discovers her husband wants a divorce. Small-town charm and charming recipes make this series irresistible. My reviews HERE.

A Visit to the Book Sale

I succumbed to being on a committee committed to resurrecting the library at the Middle School at Parkside (Jackson Public Schools). The building was originally a high school so there is rather a nice space that was the library. Yesterday and today there was a book and bake sale held to raise a little money and a lot of awareness.

Although I donated a few rather nice things (newish books as well as DVD's), I planned to delight in that added shelf space. Alas!

I thought I would stop by yesterday and see what was being offered. There was actually a ton of attractive stuff unfortunately for me. Even though I managed to avoid many things, I ended up with the following for a variety of reasons: The Lion in Winter script (because we are doing a staged reading in January); Ruth Rendell's The Rottweiler; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (because I felt I needed to refresh my memory); Then She Found Me (because I adore Elinor Lipman and don't think I read this early novel marked as a teen read); Linda Fairstein's The Kills; and Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played With Fire (I haven't read the first book yet but at least I won't have to go to the library for this second title). Why? I don't need anything else to read. I didn't quite fill the shelf space back up.

My name is Ann and I am a book addict.

The Family Man (2009)

The Family Man by Elinor Lipman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ever since I reviewed Inn at Lake Devine for a Reader's Advisory Workshop, I have been hooked on Elinor Lipman's charming comedy-of manner tales. Some might consider her stories fluff but I disagree. She is the Jane Austen of her time. Language, dialogue and sentences are precise and exactly right. And you will want to be friends with all her characters. She deals with what could be uncomfortable topics that are part of our lives in a way that makes them palatable.

My only complaint is that I can read (devour) an Elinor Lipman novel more quickly than she can write them.


View all my reviews.

Elinor Lipman Has a New Book Out!

A number of years ago, when I was still doing Readers' Advisory Workshops, I stumbled on Elinor Lipman's works and fell in love. My first read was The Inn at Lake Devine, which I shared with my audience and I've been hooked ever since.

Entertainment Weekly, my source of all things wonderful, gave an 'A' review The Family Man (2009), a "sparkling, sprightly comedy". Here's the blurb from Ms. Lipman's website, "A hysterical phone call from Henry Archer's ex-wife and a familiar face in a photograph upend his well-ordered life and bring him back into contact with the child he adored, a short-term stepdaughter from a misbegotten marriage long ago." Comedy-of-manners, social comedy, whatever you want to call it, Elinor Lipman writes engaging stories with people you wish were your friends.

I put The Family Man on reserve at the library! Can't wait!