Synopsis
"For every frazzled student applying to college, for all anxious parents trying to get a student into college, for all teachers besieged by requests for higher grades and glowing letters of recommendation, this book is for you. I am persuaded that Cohen, like Jane Austen, knows how to work things out for her heroine—neatly and satisfactorily. I loved it."—-Ann B. Ross, author of Miss Julia's School of Beauty
Library Journal
This modern take on Persuasion is Cohen's second novel modeled after Austen's work (Jane Austen in Boca was based on Pride and Prejudice) and her third novel to date. The story centers on Anne Ehrlich, a high school guidance counselor in her mid-thirties who is extremely dedicated to her work and her family. Once wealthy, her family has fallen on hard times, and Anne, the responsible one, is forced to oversee the sale of their ancestral home. While Anne appears to have everything in control, one youthful decision still haunts her: her rejection 13 years ago of the love of her life, Ben, who had been deemed unsuitable by Anne's grandmother. Ben, however, has turned out be a successful travel writer, and when he decides to settle down so that his nephew can finish high school at the school where, unbeknown to him, Anne works, she is confronted by the past and the unhappiness she feels. Although the plot in the first part of the novel bogs down around the college application process, superb writing and the appeal of Anne and Ben's relationship eventually make this a fulfilling read. Sure to be popular with Cohen's many readers as well as Jane Austen fans. Recommended for all public libraries.-Karen Core, Detroit P.L. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.