Memphis Reads Archive

Fiction/Mainstream

Sara Ellen Reid reviews OPEN HOUSE by Elizabeth Berg (Random House, 2000)

Samantha Murrow's husband of twenty years has suddenly left her. Feeling bereft and desperate, Samantha (Sam) goes on an uncharacteristic spending spree before she finally settles down to begin the process of rebuilding her life. Two pressing problems she must face immediately are the demands of rearing her son alone and a shortage of money. To help ease financial woes, Sam decides to open her home to boarders. Particularly endearing is Lydia, an elderly woman who becomes a comforting presence in the lives of both mother and son. Sam's new friend, King, a very unconventional man, is also a steadying influence as he shows her the enjoyment and freedom of living a simpler life.

This is a winsome and witty first-person narrative about a woman rediscovering herself, and finding, in turn, that there is indeed life and love after divorce.


Sara Ellen Reid, Parkway Village Branch Library

Labels: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews by Sara Ellen Reid