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Guterson, Mary.
Adult Fiction GUTERSO
From Publishers' Weekly:
"So, I figured, what the hell." That's Julia's response to just about anything, including marriage, pregnancy and cheating on her husband-not necessarily in that order. In this wry, brutally honest debut novel, Guterson slashes into the happy homilies of chick lit, revealing the underside of happily ever after. Part-time middle-school teacher Julia is nearing 40 and married to more-or-less satisfactory Jim, a Seattle sports writer, with whom she has a 15-year-old son, Chad. For years, she's been pining away for her first love, Ray, and when she sees him at a wedding-"looking for all the world like a sun-drenched god"-she promptly follows him into the bathroom. Soon she's pregnant, and she can't be sure whether the father is Jim or Ray. Meanwhile, clueless Jim is distracted by a painfully obvious crush on his young, beautiful officemate Patricia, which prevents him from taking the moral high ground. What distinguishes this book from its genre counterparts is author Guterson's unabashed willingness to let Julia voice the sort of thoughts that are publicly eschewed, and these glimpses into the mind of her tell-it-like-it-is narrator make for some liberating, laugh-out- loud passages. There are also moments of heartbreak and kindness-particularly in Julia's relationship with Chad-which are all the more potent for their understatement. Agent, Sarah Burnes at Burnes & Clegg. Rights sold in France, Holland, Italy and Japan. (Jan.) FYI: The author's brother is David Guterson (Snow Falling on Cedars; Our Lady of the Forest). (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
From Library Journal:
This first novel from the younger sister of David Guterson (Snow Falling on Cedars) offers a funny yet heartfelt answer to the question, What happened to the one that got away? Julia is fast approaching middle age, with one teenage son and a husband who has eyes for a younger co-worker. She is also plagued by thoughts of her college boyfriend Ray, who, it turns out, is again the love of her life. While attending the wedding of some old friends, Julia and Ray meet and quickly rekindle their romance. Soon after, Julia discovers that she is pregnant and correctly assumes that Ray is the father. How this story will end ultimately depends on Julia. Will she finally allow herself to fall into Ray's arms and pick up where they left off, or will she decide that she had made the right choice all along? With Julia as the first-person narrator, readers can hear her innermost thoughts, and the comedy inherent in the situation comes through. Recommended for large public libraries.-Anastasia Diamond, Cleveland P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Guterson, Mary.
Adult Fiction GUTERSO
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From Publishers' Weekly:
"So, I figured, what the hell." That's Julia's response to just about anything, including marriage, pregnancy and cheating on her husband-not necessarily in that order. In this wry, brutally honest debut novel, Guterson slashes into the happy homilies of chick lit, revealing the underside of happily ever after. Part-time middle-school teacher Julia is nearing 40 and married to more-or-less satisfactory Jim, a Seattle sports writer, with whom she has a 15-year-old son, Chad. For years, she's been pining away for her first love, Ray, and when she sees him at a wedding-"looking for all the world like a sun-drenched god"-she promptly follows him into the bathroom. Soon she's pregnant, and she can't be sure whether the father is Jim or Ray. Meanwhile, clueless Jim is distracted by a painfully obvious crush on his young, beautiful officemate Patricia, which prevents him from taking the moral high ground. What distinguishes this book from its genre counterparts is author Guterson's unabashed willingness to let Julia voice the sort of thoughts that are publicly eschewed, and these glimpses into the mind of her tell-it-like-it-is narrator make for some liberating, laugh-out- loud passages. There are also moments of heartbreak and kindness-particularly in Julia's relationship with Chad-which are all the more potent for their understatement. Agent, Sarah Burnes at Burnes & Clegg. Rights sold in France, Holland, Italy and Japan. (Jan.) FYI: The author's brother is David Guterson (Snow Falling on Cedars; Our Lady of the Forest). (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
From Library Journal:
This first novel from the younger sister of David Guterson (Snow Falling on Cedars) offers a funny yet heartfelt answer to the question, What happened to the one that got away? Julia is fast approaching middle age, with one teenage son and a husband who has eyes for a younger co-worker. She is also plagued by thoughts of her college boyfriend Ray, who, it turns out, is again the love of her life. While attending the wedding of some old friends, Julia and Ray meet and quickly rekindle their romance. Soon after, Julia discovers that she is pregnant and correctly assumes that Ray is the father. How this story will end ultimately depends on Julia. Will she finally allow herself to fall into Ray's arms and pick up where they left off, or will she decide that she had made the right choice all along? With Julia as the first-person narrator, readers can hear her innermost thoughts, and the comedy inherent in the situation comes through. Recommended for large public libraries.-Anastasia Diamond, Cleveland P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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