“It’s an age-old story: woman meets man, man woos woman, woman spends her best years believing their love is the everlasting kind. The pair watches with teary eyes as their progeny take flight from their suburban nest, knowing they’ll return in times of crisis or when their laundry needs to be washed and folded. Woman embraces aging with hair dye and ample amounts of wine. Man faces his impending mortality by convincing himself that a younger woman is the answer to his waning energy and flagging libido. Certain their sparkling future is worth the collateral damage, the May-December duo ride into the sunset as our heroine stands in the shadows, stunned by this unexpected rewrite. Yes, mine is a tale as old as time. Beauty replaces the beast.” Camille Pagan, WOMAN LAST SEEN IN HER THIRTIES
These are the first words in the new novel from Camille Pagan. I know what you’re thinking–seems like an odd choice for a favorite line. But trust me, the bitter humor in the opening is the perfect setup for this light read and yes, in the end, Maggie (the narrator) is worth getting to know. More than that, the author had me at hair dye and ample amounts of wine. Maggie is someone I know. She’s familiar. Her words made me turn the page. That makes them memorable.
This book is a bit outside my normal read, but it’s quick and entertaining and in an odd way, just right for Valentine’s Day. Happy reading!