BABBLING BOOKS

annecater

SynopsisMeet Pippa Lee, a thoroughly modern heroine.

She is the devoted wife of a brilliant man thirty years her senior, proud mother of grown-up twins, and an adored friend and neighbour. But where once she was content with this semmingly enviable world, Pippa finds her life beginning to unravel. Amid the buzzing lawnmowers and suburban coffee mornings, she starts to wonder, how did she find herself in this place?

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is a story of wild youth, unexpected encounters, affairs and betrayals, and the dangerous security of marriage. It brilliantly captures the challenges, confusion and excitement of modern life - and all the possibility that it holds.

My Review

Pippa and her older husband Herb have recently moved to a retirement village, nicknamed 'wrinkle village' - initially, you think that this is just another story of well off Americans - leisurely ladies who lunch, champagne and high living.

When Pippa meets her neighbour's strange son, then the atmosphere of the novel and within Pippa's life begins to change. Who is cooking in the middle of the night? Where do all the cigarette butts in the car come from?

Pippa starts to question her life and the fact that this move seems to be the beginning of the end of her husband's life, her marriage and her comfortable way of living.

The middle part of the book takes us back to Pippa's childhood, exploring the relationship with her own parents and how this impacts on her relationship with her daughter. Pippa's many layers slowly unravel as she discovers sexual experimentation, leaves home, takes drugs and associates with undesirable people. Pippa goes through this period breaking hearts and ultimately destroying another woman's life.

The last part of the book brings us back to the present - where Pippa's own life will be destroyed in the same way that she destroyed someone elses years ago. Pippa has to make decisions about who she is and where she will go.

The book shifts quickly from sadness to humour - really emulating real life. Pippa is a very likeable character, and as her secrets are revealed you just want to turn the pages quicker.

This is Rebecca Miller's first novel and I hope she writes more soon. She is married to Daniel Day-Lewis and her father was Arthur Miller.

The book is being made into a film:

Year of U.S. Release: 2008

Starring: Robin Wright Penn, Julianne Moore, Wynona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alan Arkin, Monica Bellucci. Director: Rebecca Miller Screenwriter(s): Rebecca Miller Distributor: — Genre(s): Drama, Comedy U.S. Release Date: TBA, 2008
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Currently reading: The Tent The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy and Granny The Pag by Nina Bawden

1001 Challenge Books read in 2009 - 3
1001 Challenge Books read in 2008 - 8
1001 Challenge Books read in 2007 - 13

miranda · Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject:

I read a review of this in 'Books Quarterly' (which I got free at Waterstone's) and really fancied it! Yet another one to add to the tbr

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Currently reading: The Human Stain by Philip Roth
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.'

Daniela-26 · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 9:06 am Post subject:

Thanks for the review Anne ~ I really fancy this one and I've heard somet great reviews ~ it's not my usual read but will keep a look out for it!

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Reading: The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho
2009 '1001 Challenge':

miranda · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject:

Just had to buy this one today!

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Currently reading: The Human Stain by Philip Roth
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.'

Lauzc · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:03 pm Post subject:

I finished this one this week while on hols. I really enjoyed it too and also hope she writes some more. Would be keen to see the film too. I think its due out in 2009 now...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1134629/
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handmade by Laura Croxson

miranda · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:28 pm Post subject:

I forgot to reply to this post a while back. I also read and enjoyed this book, I thought it looked at the different people we are as we age and how we reconcile these different selves. I recommended it as the book read for my work book group where it got mixed reviews.

_________________
Currently reading: The Human Stain by Philip Roth
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.'

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