Escape

May 16, 2011
Delinsky nails it in her trademark latest (after Not My Daughter), a captivating and moving story about a woman who's had enough of her life and wants a fresh start. Emily Aulenbach, a hardworking New York City lawyer married to another hardworking lawyer, graduated from law school an idealist, but now works on behalf of big, soulless corporations. Fed up, she walks out of the office one morning, packs a bag, and takes off for the small New Hampshire town where she'd spent a life-changing summer 10 years earlier, breaking contact with her best friend, Vicki Bellânow married and running an inn in the same townâwhen Vicki's brother, Jude, Emily's first big love, had dumped her. Emily runs to Vicki for sanctuary, and, wouldn't you know it, Jude reappears, somewhat complicating things as Emily figures out what to do with her life, career, and marriage to James, whom she truly loves. But when one of Vicki's employees ends up needing legal help, it's the catalyst for everything to click into place. Delinsky keeps the story moving with some nice twists on a familiar plot, rich characterizations, and real-feeling dilemmas that will keep readers hooked.

July 1, 2011

A corporate attorney leaves her Manhattan cubicle for a small New Hampshire town, where she faces an agonizing choice.

Emily's enervating job at a prestigious law firm is only a higher-paying version of a hectic call center. She sees little of her husband, James, who is immersed in his own 12-hour-a-day struggle to make partner in a similar firm. The couple is too exhausted to enjoy the spoils of their labors assisting corporations to further crush the poor and downtrodden. Their love life is strictly scheduled around Emily's fertile periods, to no avail, baby-wise. One day Emily just snaps, runs out on her life and heads for the last place she remembers feeling relaxed: Bell Valley, where her college roommate's family runs a massive animal shelter, the Refuge. Nothing much has changed in Bell Valley when Emily arrives, other than the fact that her one-time roomie, Vicki, now owns the Red Fox, a B&B. Vicki's brother, Jude, Emily's first love, has been absent for a decade, traveling the world. Emily fled Bell Valley, she thought forever, when Jude broke up with her and impregnated his ex-girlfriend. Emily has received sporadic dispatches from Jude, the last from a crab boat in the Bering Sea. His dreaded return to Bell Valley, accompanied by the coyote that appears to be his spirit guide (and rapidly becomes Emily's), once again discomfits feminine hearts, including Vicki's—she resents Jude for being the prodigal son family matriarch Amelia welcomes home while taking vineyard-toiling Vicki for granted. James, stunned by Emily's defection, is trying to woo her back, but not quite ready to abandon Manhattan. Emily finds contentment in working with rescue cats and pitting her legal skills against power and greed (for a change). An improbable subplot involving Red Fox employee Lee, defrauded of her inheritance, is intended to inject thrills but falls far short of replacing the more essential conflicts Delinsky simply ducks. Arid stretches of boredom ensue.

No escapism here.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

February 1, 2011

Sapped of her idealism and unable to connect to her husband, her friends, or her work, 30-year-old lawyer Emily Aulenbach gets up from her desk early one day and leaves high-pressure New York behind for the New Hampshire hills. She had a vibrant summer there when in college; maybe she can find that happiness again. With a reading group guide and likely to be popular.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2011
Thirtysomething lawyer Emily feels her life closing in on her. She's working long hours on the wrong side of a class-action suit. She never sees her husband, who is also a busy attorney, and she is struggling with infertility. Without warning, she flees her hectic existence in New York City and heads to the New Hampshire town where she spent a touchstone summer with her college roommate, Vicki, and had a passionate but ill-fated romance with Vicki's brother, Jude. Working at the local animal refuge and communing with nature soothes Emily's frayed nerves, but she must find a way to reconcile her need for quiet with her desire to build a life and family with her husband. Popular novelist Delinsky, author of Not My Daughter (2010), writes with compassion about the conflicting emotions many women face. Although her take isn't revolutionary, the sympathetic characters and idyllic setting are pleasing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011

A corporate attorney leaves her Manhattan cubicle for a small New Hampshire town, where she faces an agonizing choice.

Emily's enervating job at a prestigious law firm is only a higher-paying version of a hectic call center. She sees little of her husband, James, who is immersed in his own 12-hour-a-day struggle to make partner in a similar firm. The couple is too exhausted to enjoy the spoils of their labors assisting corporations to further crush the poor and downtrodden. Their love life is strictly scheduled around Emily's fertile periods, to no avail, baby-wise. One day Emily just snaps, runs out on her life and heads for the last place she remembers feeling relaxed: Bell Valley, where her college roommate's family runs a massive animal shelter, the Refuge. Nothing much has changed in Bell Valley when Emily arrives, other than the fact that her one-time roomie, Vicki, now owns the Red Fox, a B&B. Vicki's brother, Jude, Emily's first love, has been absent for a decade, traveling the world. Emily fled Bell Valley, she thought forever, when Jude broke up with her and impregnated his ex-girlfriend. Emily has received sporadic dispatches from Jude, the last from a crab boat in the Bering Sea. His dreaded return to Bell Valley, accompanied by the coyote that appears to be his spirit guide (and rapidly becomes Emily's), once again discomfits feminine hearts, including Vicki's--she resents Jude for being the prodigal son family matriarch Amelia welcomes home while taking vineyard-toiling Vicki for granted. James, stunned by Emily's defection, is trying to woo her back, but not quite ready to abandon Manhattan. Emily finds contentment in working with rescue cats and pitting her legal skills against power and greed (for a change). An improbable subplot involving Red Fox employee Lee, defrauded of her inheritance, is intended to inject thrills but falls far short of replacing the more essential conflicts Delinsky simply ducks. Arid stretches of boredom ensue.

No escapism here.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 15, 2011

Frustrated with her life, 32-year-old Manhattan lawyer Emily Aulenbach impulsively decides to take a personal and professional leave of absence, much to the dismay of her husband, boss, sister, parents, and friends. She gets in the car and drives, eventually reaching the New Hampshire town where she spent one college summer. Although this town is loaded with good and bad memories, she feels it's the only place where she can figure out what kind of life and work she wants to pursue. A former lover, an animal refuge, and a woman in need of legal advice are distractions that help Emily figure it all out. VERDICT Best-selling author Delinsky's (Not My Daughter) latest novel features a scenario many readers likely fantasize about, but it also has a protagonist whose actions may induce mixed feelings. While Emily puts her happiness first and escapes the life she no longer wants, her selfishness affects others, especially her husband. Ultimately, this thought-provoking book will be popular summer reading. [See Prepub Alert, 1/9/11.]--Samantha J. Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.