Literacy and Longing in L.A.

Literacy and Longing in L.A.
By Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack
Delacorte Press. 325 pages. 2006. Fiction

Dora (named for Eudora Welty by her book-loving alcoholic mother) is at a low-point in her life. She recently separated from her husband and is trying to get back into the workforce after a 10 year absence. Unlike most women who might use food or shopping to try and raise their spirits, Dora reads books. She can stay in her apartment for days reading anything under the sun to avoid reality. Will falling for the manager in her favorite bookstore pull Dora out of her depression or merely offer her another form of escape?

When I first read the title and summary of this book, it seemed tailor-made for me. What could be more fun than a character who is a love-challenged book junkie? But this book fell short in a few ways for me. First, Dora just wasn’t as interesting as I hoped she would be and second, the ending seemed a little clunky and abrupt. I did, however, love the many many book references and the quirky secondary characters.

AJ