August '07 pick: THROUGH THICK AND THIN

Alison Pace (Pug Hill) is back with another clever novel that is as soul-searching as it is entertaining. Her latest, THROUGH THICK AND THIN, is the story of two sisters, Meredith and Stephanie, who are growing apart as their lives take off in different directions. Stephanie is a stay-at-home mom dealing with a new baby, an increasingly distant husband and the up-and-down social politics of the suburbs. Meredith is a single city girl who reviews New York restaurants for a prestigious magazine and wonders why she has trouble connecting with men.

The sisters decide to go on a diet together -- Stephanie to lose her baby weight and Meredith to lose the inevitable food critic pounds -- but at the same time, life's getting a lot more complicated for both women. The distance between them is starting to feel like an unbridgeable gap, and after a blowup, they go their separate ways to lick their wounds.

An intriguing look at the directions our lives can take as we grow up, THROUGH THICK AND THIN is populated with loveable characters and even a yoga-doing dog, which should charm anyone who became a fan of Pace after reading last year's PUG HILL. Pace is a master at handling the two different viewpoints of Meredith and Stephanie, and readers are sure to walk away with a deeper understanding of what makes us all tick.

The book is even more charming because Pace doesn't shy away from tackling weighty issues; the characters' pain, confusion and angst are often remarkably tangible. The lighter comedic scenes are just as heartwarming.

One of my favorite novels of the year!

READER QUESTIONS (for your book club):
1. Have you had a long-term female friendship that has changed over the years? How are these types of relationships just as complicated as romantic entanglements?
2. One of the key issues in THROUGH THICK AND THIN is the difference between being single and being married with a child. How can a difference like that drive a wedge between sisters or longtime friends? And how can a gap like that be bridged?
3. Which sister did you identify with more? Why?
4. Both sisters make some mistakes with each other. Could their blowup have been avoided? Or was it necessary to move their relationship forward in the long run?
5. What did you think of the way Meredith's dog ultimately changes her life? How did he change her? Have you ever had a pet open your eyes to things you didn't realize before?

Check out Alison Pace's web site at www.AlisonPace.com.

And check out my latest novel, THE BLONDE THEORY, in stores everywhere, here!


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