eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert

eat, pray, love is one of those wonderful tales of redemption that we all wish that we had the money and time to live ourselves. Gilbert, a writer wavering in a relationship that must appear in several novels finally leaves home, husband and all those children not yet born that would define "family" to suffer depression and aimlessness until she decides to treat herself to Italian lessons just because Italian sounds so wonderful.

She receives an advance on the book she will write (this one) and takes off for four months in Italy where she eats and studies Italian. Since it seems that all my friends this year have been going to Italy, I went vicariously. If only I had the food.

She goes home briefly for Christmas and then is off to India for four months in an Ashram. A very different life than her four months of pleasure in Italy. Her last four months are spent in Indonesia with a local healer.

The format of this book makes it a great summer read. Take it with you everywhere. Most of the chapters, all 108 of them (the number of prayer beads) are short enough to read almost everywhere. So enjoyable.

Summer Reading

By Hilma Wolitzer

“Summer Reading” is just that. A reading club consisting of the rich wives of those who can afford a summer house in the Hampton’s, those for whom the belonging to a book group brings more satisfaction than the reading of the books. A group that notices the absence of its member with the highest social standing. Turns out instead of reading, she is having a hot affair with the local mafiosa.

She is living life, taking chances like Emma Bovary. The question is will she feel compelled to commit suicide for her variance from social norms. Like Emma Bovary, they sought to learn what was really meant by the words “happiness”, “passion” and “intoxication”.

The story weaves between the lives of Lissy, club hostess and trophy wife; Michelle a year round working class resident of the Hampton’s who is working as a maid for Lissy and Angela who leads the book group and who glimpses the daughter of old friends who she had not seen since the husband with whom she was having an affair allowed a provocative nude picture of her to be hung in his art show. Lives are out of balance. Their stories all end happily or at least with as much chance for happiness as any of us are offered.

Eliza