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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Shelton, S. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Silver Falls Library | FIC SHELTON | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Dear Lily . . .
At age thirty-four, Lily Brown has her life just the way she likes it. And what's not to like? She's got a great job as an advice columnist for the local newspaper, an adorable four-year-old son, and an ex-husband, Teddy, who still thinks she's wonderful. She even lives in the same beach house where she grew up, with a great view of Long Island Sound and plenty of beach roses to smell.
So what if she won't let herself date anyone until she finds a new girlfriend for Teddy, who happens to still be hung up on her? So what if she hasn't changed a thing in her parents' house, even twelve years after their tragic deaths? So what if it's been ten years since she's heard from her younger sister, Dana, who stormed out of the house in a rage when she was a teenager? Lily is fine.
But it's funny how life has a way of upsetting even the most perfectly laid-out plans, and when one night Lily finds herself painting ghastly orange highlights into her lovely auburn hair, even she suspects that she's been in something of a rut. And then, when her long-lost little sister shows up, bringing with her the fun and drama and hell-raising spontaneity Lily has missed, her life suddenly takes a turn for the unexpected.
To Lily's chagrin, Dana's energy seems to enthrall everyone, especially Teddy. As the tension between the sisters escalates, Dana reveals decades-old family secrets that she's been burdened with all these years, and Dear Lily must heed her own advice about accepting life's messiness and chaos.
With her trademark blend of sparkling wit and characters you can't forget, Sandi Kahn Shelton tells a compelling and universal story of two sisters who learn what they need to let go of, and what they have to hold on to as tightly as they can.
Author Notes
Sandi Kahn Shelton is the author of What Comes After Crazy and a feature writer for the New Haven Register . A former "Wit's End" columnist for Working Mother magazine, she is a frequent contributor to several magazines, including Woman's Day , Family Circle , Redbook , and Salon . The author of three previous books on parenting, she is a mother of three and lives in Guilford, Connecticut, with her journalist husband.
Reviews (3)
Kirkus Review
The unexpected return of her long-lost sister throws a divorced mother for a loop. Lily has led a quiet life in Branford, Conn., since her parents' death in a car accident a decade ago. She lives in her childhood home, cares for her young son and writes an advice column for the local newspaper. Ex-husband Teddy stops by most evenings to commiserate about the dating scene: "We talk and analyze everything that either of us has thought or heard about during the day, telling each other most of our secrets. But then--and this may be the best part--he goes home to his own bed." Things change when Lily's sister shows up on her doorstep. Dana, who ran off years ago with a punk-rock band, may or may not be back to stay (there's the little matter of grand-theft auto to consider), but she's appalled by Lily's "stagnant" life. First, Dana pushes her sibling toward Alex, a radio station manager interested in hiring Lily as an on-air commentator. Next, she has a fling with Teddy. Then she informs Lily, who had idealized their parents' marriage, that their mother had a long-time female lover and that their parents were about to separate on the evening they were killed. The author handles her characters and story deftly, although it's hard to see how the sisters will reconcile now that bad-seed Dana, who has taken over the house as well as the ex-husband, is carrying Teddy's child. A likable heroine and novel from women's-mag veteran Shelton (What Comes After Crazy, 2005). Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
One would think that an advice columnist for a local Connecticut shore newspaper would have a perfect life, being the person with the answers. But Lily Brown is stuck in a rut, living with her precocious four-year-old son, Simon, in the house where she grew up, her ex-husband Teddy living close by. The most excitement in her life happens when an attempt to color her hair turns into a disaster, until her long-lost sister, Dana, returns and turns her life upside down. Dana not only changes Lily's daily life but she also alters her perspective about the past, thanks, in part, to the revelation of family secrets. As her protagonist tries to learn that she cannot and does not have to control everyone around her and tries to enjoy the fun of a dysfunctional family life, Shelton delves into family relationships with humor and empathy, making this a pleasurable read. --Patty Engelmann Copyright 2006 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Eccentric but somehow familiar multilayered characters fill the pages of this richly textured, insightful novel by Shelton (What Comes After Crazy). As an advice columnist, Lily Brown should know that bad things come in threes. Her problems start with a disastrous home hair-dying job. Next, Lily's ex-husband, Teddy, who lives in the same duplex, starts making noises about getting back together again. And, finally, Lily's sister, Dana, who ran away from home ten years earlier at age 18, has shown up as suddenly as she left and as messed up. In her column, Lily doles out advice left and right, but she can't seem to get a handle on her own problems. Shelton's humorous, touching story fully engages the reader as Lily's CheetosR-orange/rotten banana-yellow hair and its journey back to normalcy become a metaphor for the character's own life. A welcome addition to library fiction collections of all sizes. Shelley Mosley, Glendale Community Coll. Lib. Media Ctr., AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.