Fabulous Fiction Firsts #52

Sun, 02/18/2007 - 4:32pm by muffy

Did you see the review in the New York Times? Apparently many of you did, judging from the hold list. But if you did not, don’t let this one slip by.

Still Life with Husband by first-time novelist Lauren Fox.

It’s a familiar dilemma - Girl (Emily, 30, freelance writer, likes cake for breakfast) meets boy (Kevin, sweet, stable, with a passion for small appliances). Girl marries boy (and live in Milwaukee). Then girl meets dark, handsome and sexy stranger at Starbucks (Oops! 9 years too late). Girl gives in to the itch (rather too easily) and suffers the guilt.

Sure. It has been done before, a la Tom Perrotta in Little Children (2004) and Lolly Winston in Happiness Sold Separately (2006). Nevertheless, “In this generous, heartfelt, and often hilarious novel of marriage and friendship, Lauren Fox explores the baffling human heart and the dangers of getting what you wish for”. Worth a look.