Saturday, July 11, 2015

Maybe In Another Life: a novel.







Maybe In Another Life: a novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. New York: Washington Square Press, 2015. 336 pages. A Reader's Club Guide. *****+

Twenty-nine year old Hannah Martin is trying to make sense of her life after a disastrous relationship with a married man and the feeling that she lacks direction in her career choices. After returning to Los Angeles and her best friend Gabby, Hannah runs into her high school boyfriend, Ethan. Should she stay at the bar with Ethan or go home with Gabby and her husband Mark? Hannah believes that sometimes a person can just "tell." Faced with two choices, Hannah makes a decison that night which drastically changes her life forever, or does it? 

What could have been a confusing concurrent story told in parallel universes is clearly portrayed by Reid.  Hannah has the universal feeling of not belonging and seeking a "home," she feels adrift and her friend, Gabby seems to have it all...great parents, a successful husband, a house and children in her future. Or does she?

I am fascinated by the premise suggested in both parallel stories that "every time we make a decision, there is a version of us out there somewhere who made a different choice." Who hasn't asked himself the question, "Did I make the right choice?" "What should I have done differently?" Reid left me with the feeling that no matter what decision is made, the results are equally rewarding. If you believe in fate and that we are predestined in our choices, you need to read Hannah's story.

This novel will be a great Book Club read; there are Questions and Topics for Discussion. I love it when I want more from a novel, what happens next and who can I talk to about this book? Thought provoking and entertaining, this is one of those books. I highly recommend that you should add it to your summer reading list.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. You can follow her on Twitter at @TJenkinsReid.

I read this book to review for the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015 and I am so glad I did. While working as a high school librarian I read many YA books and am out of touch with current adult fiction and nonfiction. I have really enjoyed all of the books chosen and have found many new (to me) authors to add to my list. 

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