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3 Beaverton Literature- A to Z

eBook editions

The Professors' Wives' Club

by Joanne Rendell

The Professors' Wives' Club Cover

ISBN13: 9780451224910
ISBN10: 0451224914
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

A debut novel about the intertwining lives of college faculty wives.

Nestled among Manhattan University?s faculty housing, there is a garden where four women will meet?each with a scandalous secret that could upset their lives, destroy their families, and rock the prestigious university to its very core.

With its maple trees, iron gate, and fence laced with honeysuckle, Manhattan U?s garden offers faculty wives Mary, Sofia, Ashleigh, and Hannah much needed refuge from their problems. But as Mary?s husband, the power-hungry dean, plans to demolish their beloved garden, these four women will discover a surprising secret about a lost Edgar Allan Poe manuscript?and realize they must find the courage to stand up for their passions, dreams, and desires.

Review:

"This tepid debut novel follows four women as they band together to save a garden from being gobbled up by an expanding college campus. Mary, a Pulitzer Prize — winning novelist and professor; Hannah, an MFA student whose husband becomes increasingly distant; Sofia, a young mother who gave up her previous life as a powerful Hollywood agent; and Ashleigh, who is afraid to reveal her lesbian relationship to her conservative senator father, all share a love of the small garden nestled next to Manhattan University's faculty housing, and as they organize to stop the imminent excavation, they form friendships and make major changes in their lives. There isn't anything you haven't seen before in here, but Rendell does a fine job of following the formula. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Rendell has an intelligent writing style and people her book with engaging characters. Her debut novel is perfect for reading by the pool or as a book club pick in the summer." Romantic Times

Synopsis:

This debut novel about the intertwining lives of college faculty wives is a captivating look at an ivory tower Peyton Place filled with intrigue, heartbreak and hope (Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan, authors of "China Dolls").
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About the Author

Joanne Rendell was born and raised in the UK. She has a Ph.D. in literature and is married to an NYU professor.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
bibliophile23, April 13, 2009 (view all comments by bibliophile23)
This book is not my usual fare. I never like modern chick lit. I usually skip over books like this when in the bookstore. I am so glad that I was chosen to receive this book because I would be missing such a gem of a book because of my own prejudice. The Professors Wives’ Club is one of the most engaging and entertaining books I have ever read.

Mary, Ashleigh, Sofia and Hannah are some of the most interesting characters I have ever encountered. The minute I began reading, I was completely invested in their lives and relationships. I felt I could identify with something in each and every one of them even though I have very little in common with any of them. These women could have easily developed into realm of the “annoying female character” (overly perfect, super-woman complex or weak-willed, dependent, water-works) without a writer as skilled at weaving a plot as Rendell. Her writing is crisp. She captures each woman’s voice perfectly and weaves their stories together seamlessly.

The fact that the book centers around the world of academia was also a strong draw for me. The internal politics and conflicts of University life are especially interesting to me because I went to a university in New York where internal protests and strikes were a familiar and almost everyday occurrence. Rendell displays the internal conflicts and tensions very accurately.

Once I started the book, I could not put it down. This is not your typical chick lit book to use for easy reading on vacation. This book will distract you and get you so embroiled in the story, you will spend your vacation inside reading the book. I absolutely love this book. I will be anxiously awaiting Rendell’s next book which comes out in 2009.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780451224910
Author:
Rendell, Joanne
Publisher:
NAL Trade
Subject:
Gardens
Subject:
Female friendship
Subject:
General
Subject:
Family Relationships
Subject:
Manhattan (new york, n.y.)
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
2008
Edition Description:
Mass Market
Publication Date:
20080902
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
352
Dimensions:
7.90x5.20x.80 in. .65 lbs.
Age Level:
from 18
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Related Aisles

The Professors' Wives' Club Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$1.95 In Stock
Product details 352 pages New American Library - English 9780451224910 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "This tepid debut novel follows four women as they band together to save a garden from being gobbled up by an expanding college campus. Mary, a Pulitzer Prize — winning novelist and professor; Hannah, an MFA student whose husband becomes increasingly distant; Sofia, a young mother who gave up her previous life as a powerful Hollywood agent; and Ashleigh, who is afraid to reveal her lesbian relationship to her conservative senator father, all share a love of the small garden nestled next to Manhattan University's faculty housing, and as they organize to stop the imminent excavation, they form friendships and make major changes in their lives. There isn't anything you haven't seen before in here, but Rendell does a fine job of following the formula. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "Rendell has an intelligent writing style and people her book with engaging characters. Her debut novel is perfect for reading by the pool or as a book club pick in the summer."
"Synopsis" by , This debut novel about the intertwining lives of college faculty wives is a captivating look at an ivory tower Peyton Place filled with intrigue, heartbreak and hope (Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan, authors of "China Dolls").
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