A Window Opens by Elizabeth Egan- 384 pages
Book Blurb:
Like her fictional forebears Kate Reddy and Bridget Jones, Alice plays many roles (which she never refers to as “wearing many hats” and wishes you wouldn’t, either). She is a mostly-happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog-owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor and a Zen commuter. She is not: a cook, a craftswoman, a decorator, an active PTA member, a natural caretaker or the breadwinner. But when her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in—and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip young start-up which promises to be the future of reading, with its chain of chic literary lounges and dedication to beloved classics. The Holy Grail of working mothers―an intellectually satisfying job and a happy personal life―seems suddenly within reach.
My Review: 4 stars
A Window Opens was a heaping dose of welcomed Chick Lit and a nice addition to my reading repertoire. Reading this book in January worked well for me because it offered a not so subtle reminder that we can’t do it all. Really we can’t.
Even though my kids are grown, I was still able to relate to the main protagonist. It’s a mighty big step going from stay at home mom to a working mom while still trying to be all things to all people. Being torn between kids, spouse, BFF and aging parents is no place to be when starting a new job. She hit the pinnacle of the sandwich generation at the worst possible time, which is a perfect recipe for good fiction.
Usually, the continual brand name dropping drives me crazy, but in this instance it didn’t bother me; it almost read satirically. The fact the main protagonist was a reader at heart and loved books made her a very likeable character. Egan’s vocabulary was sharp and had me looking up some definititions. This Good Book Fairy would love to meet the traveling Book Lady. Great idea!
Quotes I liked:
Mona can volley reading recommendations with the fluency of an auctioneer.”
“I’m his wife. This is what you do, dammit. You take care of each other. He would do the same for me.”
“News flash: nobody is going to give you an assignment. Just do something.”
“My thinking is, women, wine, and books are a proven formula.”
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