Synopses & Reviews
The acid-tongued Dorothy Parker is back and haunting the halls of the Algonquin with her piercing wit, audacious voice, and unexpectedly tender wisdom.
Heavenly peace? No, thank you. Dorothy Parker would rather wander the famous halls of the Algonquin Hotel, drink in hand, searching for someone, anyone, who will keep her company on this side of eternity.
After forty years she thinks shes found the perfect candidate in Ted Shriver, a brilliant literary voice of the 1970s, silenced early in a promising career by a devastating plagiarism scandal. Now a prickly recluse, he hides away in the old hotel slowly dying of cancer, which he refuses to treat. If she can just convince him to sign the infamous guestbook of Percy Coates, Dorothy Parker might be able to persuade the jaded writer to spurn the white light with her. Ted, however, might be the only person living or dead whos more stubborn than Parker, and he rejects her proposal outright.
When a young, ambitious TV producer, Norah Wolfe, enters the hotel in search of Ted Shriver, Parker sees another opportunity to get what she wants. Instead, she and Norah manage to uncover such startling secrets about Teds past that the future changes for all of them.
Review
Praise for
Farewell Dorothy Parker:
“[Meister] reveals the pathos behind the pith…Classic Parker zingers sprinkled throughout the novel add sparkle.”
—Washington Post
“I loved it.…Meister has caught the nuance and language of what I imagine to be the consummate Dorothy Parker.”
—Bookreporter
Review
Praise for
Dorothy Parker Drank Here:
"Meister's Dorothy Parker is just as sharp, witty and pleasantly mean as fans would expect. Her humanity shines through, though, along with her humor. Her obvious loneliness...make[s] this a surprisingly emotional novel. Not even death can keep Dorothy Parker down in this sad and funny story." --Kirkus
"A lovely...imagining [of] the voice of Dorothy Parker with equal parts wit, heartbreak, and practicality." --Booklist
"A quick, charming read that will delight Parker fans and stoke the curiosity of those unfamiliar with her great wit." --Library Journal
Review
About the Author
Ellen Meister has written five novelsincluding Farewell, Dorothy Parker and The Other Lifeas well as numerous short stories and essays. She teaches creative writing at Hofstra University Continuing Education, and does public speaking about her books and other writing-related issues. Ellen lives on Long Island with her husband and three children.