September '07 pick: ODD MOM OUT

Truly one of the best books I've read in years, Jane Porter's ODD MOM OUT is the touching tale of a strong, independent woman who, all at once, faces struggles she never anticipated with her precocious daughter, a mysterious stranger and a town where she doesn't quite fit. It's Porter’s best novel yet -- and that's saying a lot, as I absolutely loved her previous two books (THE FROG PRINCE, FLIRTING WITH FORTY).

Marta Zinsser is a Harley-riding, combat-boot-wearing single working mom who seems to be a fish out of water in Bellevue, a wealthy Seattle suburb full of Mercedes-driving, sweater-set-wearing married women who look down their noses at anyone who doesn't conform. Marta is proud of being different -- until she realizes that her fierce individuality is affecting her 9-year-old daughter Eva, who wants desperately to fit in with the popular girls in her class. Now, Marta is torn between wanting to teach Eva the value of being herself and wanting to make her road a little easier by playing the picture-perfect mom Eva so badly wants her to be.

Just as things are getting more complicated with Eva, and with the advertising business Marta owns, a mysterious stranger catches Marta's eye and turns her world upside down. Marta, who has sworn off men since before Eva was born, finds her pulse racing each time she catches a glimpse of a rugged mountain of a man who looks as out of place in Bellevue as she does. Now, she must decide whether to let down her self-imposed romantic walls that she has found such solace in hiding behind. But if she does that, is she losing a piece of the strong, independent woman she has long prided herself in being?

Porter deftly captures the powerful love and complicated dynamic between a single mom and the daughter she wants nothing more than to protect. Eva jumps off the page as a bright, conflicted pre-teen on the cusp of maturity, and the complexities that make up Marta's life will make readers' hearts ache in empathy. This un-put-downable novel will make you both laugh and cry as Marta tries to hang on to her roller coaster ride of a life.

READER QUESTIONS (for your book club):
1. Does Porter's betrayal of the mother-daughter dynamic ring true with you, based on your own experiences? Why or why not?
2. Why is the love between a mother and daughter so powerful?
3. Why do you think Marta feels so conflicted about whether to be herself or whether to try to conform for Eva's sake?
4. Why does Marta have so much trouble coming to terms with her powerful attraction to the mysterious man? Have you ever felt conflicted similarly?
5. What message do you take away from this novel?

Check out Jane Porter’s web site at www.janeporter.com.

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



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