This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)! This week's book is Appetite by Sheila Grinell!
About the book:
When Jenn Adler returns from a year in India, she has a surprise for her parents: a young guru from Bangalore whom she intends to marry. Her father, Paul, is wary of this “beggar” Jenn has brought home―who, he suspects, is conning his much-loved daughter―while her mother, Maggie, is frightened that this alien stranger will steal away her only child, her focus in life.
In the months leading up to the backyard wedding, Maggie is forced to reevaluate her virtues as she casts about for support, and Paul faces an unexpected threat at work―one that Maggie could help him meet, if he would only ask. But even with these distractions, the two parents are focused on one primary question: Can they convince their daughter she is making a terrible mistake before the wedding takes place?
In the months leading up to the backyard wedding, Maggie is forced to reevaluate her virtues as she casts about for support, and Paul faces an unexpected threat at work―one that Maggie could help him meet, if he would only ask. But even with these distractions, the two parents are focused on one primary question: Can they convince their daughter she is making a terrible mistake before the wedding takes place?
Jenn, the daughter of Paul and Maggie, has come home after a year in India. Not only has she come back home, she has brought her fiance, Arun, to meet her parents. To say that her parents are less than thrilled about her prospective husband would be the understatement of the year. Paul thinks that Arun is trying to take advantage of his daughter and Maggie is afraid that Jenn will no longer be around for her to dote on. The current dilemma with their daughter causes them to gain a little perspective about their own lives. Maggie and Paul have issues of their own to deal with: Maggie feeling second fiddle to Paul's work and Paul feeling the pressure when it comes to his research. Throughout the book Maggie really struggles with the decision to interfere with her daughter's life when she believes Jenn is making a big mistake or just letting Jenn live out her own life by giving up that control. Are Maggie and Paul able to show Jenn how they perceive Arun and prevent a marriage? Or, are they able to put everything aside for the sake of their daughter's happiness? Are they able to navigate through their own lives and issues? How all of this plays out is very interesting and worth reading! I think everyone can relate to the family dynamics of this story and its characters!
About the author:
Toward the end of her forty-year career as a creator of science museums, Sheila Grinell began to write fiction. Born in a taxi in Manhattan, she studied at the Bronx High School of Science, Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and dog.
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