This character-driven slice-of-life drama from Horn (author of The Glass Birds) explores love, friendship, self-esteem, heartbreak, trust, and healing as its hero rebuilds her life and rediscovers the power of friendship. At its heart is Wendy Murray, a recently separated woman with low self-esteem who searches for love and acceptance during the turbulent 1970s in Los Angeles, all while haunted by the memories of her critical and emotionally distant father and her equally critical estranged husband Scott. Wendy drastically changes her life by losing weight, starting a nursery, and embracing the hedonistic bar scene, filling her life with men, alcohol, and drugs. She quickly becomes obsessed with Brad, a womanizing singer who ignores her just like her father did. Meanwhile, Scott strives to regain Wendy’s love and trust, trying to show that he’s becoming a better man. Best friend Cindy at first encourages Wendy’s wildness but becomes alarmed when her behavior spins increasingly out of control.

Wendy’s striving for independence and confidence is uplifting as she pours her love of gardening into her nursery, a place she feels truly happy, and new work as a garden designer. However, much of the story and Wendy’s confidence hinges on her wanting to be seen as desirable to men, and her drive to change herself for this goal—and her pride in achieving it—may fit the ‘70s milieu but also may put off contemporary readers who favor a more thorough examination of self actualization. Wendy also has the relatable bad habit of avoiding her problems, including whether to take Scott back, and ignoring good advice, such as focusing on her nursery, and masking her insecurities in the libertine indulgences of the decade.

Wendy and Cindy’s strong friendship as they support each other through romantic crises and emotional turmoil is heartening, and readers invested in the friendship will miss Cindy during her absences from the narrative. Horn’s attentive to the textures of life, culture, and thinking in the 1970s, and the novel builds to a warm conclusion in which Wendy accepts herself—and looks toward a better future.

Takeaway: A woman's touching reinvention in love and friendship in the swinging 1970s.

Comparable Titles: Jennifer Weiner, Judith Rossner’s Looking for Mr. Goodbar.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-