Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe invites you to meet five remarkable characters as she explores the power of friendship with tenderness, honesty and understanding.
“Outwardly linked by their monthly book club meetings, five diverse women in suburban Chicago come to realize that they share more than just the books they read as they struggle with a number of life-changing issues and discover the true meaning and power of friendship.” Library Journal
“Monroe offers up believable characters in a well-crafted story.” Publishers Weekly
“An inspirational tale of redemption.” Publishers Weekly on Swimming Lessons
“Monroe makes her characters so believable, the reader can almost hear them breathing.” Booklist
“With its evocative, often beautiful prose and keen insights into family relationships, Monroe’s latest is an exceptional and heartwarming work of fiction that is bound to please fans of women’s fiction and romances alike.” Publishers Weekly on The Beach House
Monroe’s “talent for infusing her characters with warmth and vitality and her ability to spin a tale with emotional depth will earn her a broad spectrum of readers, particularly fans of Barbara Delinsky and Nora Roberts.” Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Monroe's (Girl in the Mirror) new novel opens as five friends, all members of a monthly book club, face turning points in their lives. Eve's husband dies suddenly, shattering her comfortable lifestyle, while Midge's mother makes an unannounced and unwelcomed reappearance. Annie finally feels ready to have a child, only to find her health and her marriage in jeopardy. Gabriella strains to make ends meet after her husband is laid off; Doris slides into depression as she tries to deny signs of her husband's infidelity. Sometimes close to and sometimes at odds with each other, the friends struggle to face harsh realities and, in the process, gain new independence. The actual book club of the title plays an oddly small role in this celebration of friendship and growth--the books the club reads are mentioned only briefly and often seem irrelevant to the women's struggles. Still, Monroe offers up believable characters in a well-crafted story. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.