English as a Second Language

In this wickedly funny first novel-think Legally Blonde in Oxford-a young New York woman exchanges her corporate job for a year of books, blokes, beers, and new best friends in graduate school in England.


Alexandra Brennan is fed up with her dead end New York City job-and even more fed up of running into her smug ex-boyfriend. So when he crosses the line by telling her that she'll never get into graduate school in the United Kingdom, that's precisely what she does.


Armed with imported cigarettes and extra strength coffee, Alex leaves home and crosses the Atlantic to face all that Great Britain and grad school have to offer, including ill-considered romantic interludes, a red-headed nemesis with intellectual pretensions and ulterior motives, a preponderance of eighties music, and more books than she can possibly read in a year. What she discovers, however, is that instead of running away from home - she may have actually found it.


With a cheeky sense of humor and terrific cast of characters, ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE is a funny and irreverent novel about a young woman's misadventures on the path to adulthood.

In this wickedly funny first novel--think Legally Blonde at Oxford--a young New York woman exchanges her corporate job for a year of books, blokes, and new friends in graduate school in England.

Alexandra Brennan is fed up with her dead end New York City job--and even more fed up with running into her smug ex-boyfriend. So when he crosses the line by telling her that shell never get into graduate school in the United Kingdom, thats precisely what she does. Armed with imported cigarettes and extra-strength coffee, Alex crosses the Atlantic to face all that Great Britain and grad school have to offer, including ill-considered romantic interludes, a red-headed nemesis with intellectual pretensions and ulterior motives, and more books than she can possibly read in a year. What she discovers, however, is that instead of running away from home, she may have actually found it. With its cheeky wit and terrific cast of characters, English As A Second Language is a hilarious coming-of-age story reader's won't soon forget about one young womans misadventures along the path to adulthood.

Publishers Weekly

Heads up, world: British university students drink a lot. That's the main conclusion reached by first-timer Crane in this novel about a 20-something American student forging new friendships, swilling lager, kissing boys and generally behaving as if a master's degree is the furthest thing from her mind. When a smug, repulsive ex-boyfriend tells paralegal Alex Brennan that she could never get into grad school in England, she promptly applies, gets accepted and hops onto a plane. She arrives at a small northern university to discover a hideous campus, dreary weather, a gorgeous yet unapproachable professor and a social life that revolves around drinking pints in the double digits and nursing the resulting hangovers. Housemates Cristina and Melanie aid in reconnaissance missions to spy on Sean the professorial hottie, and drinking buddies Toby and Jason hover in the background in various stages of inebriation. Jealous and paranoid fellow student Suzanne embroils Alex in competition over grades, men and anything else she can think of. Meanwhile, the papers are piling up, and Toby's starting to look sort of attractive. Crane, herself a former university student in England, gets points for energy and effort, but this is an awkward jumble of a book with a familiar "Just shut up and kiss me" conclusion. Agent, Julie Barer. (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.