Synopses & Reviews
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a nice Jewish widower must be in want of a wife.
Jane Austen centered her classic novels around "three or four families in a country village." So does Paula Marantz Cohen in this witty twist on Pride and Prejudice---except this time the "village" is Boca Raton, Florida.
Eligible men are scarce in Boca. When good-hearted meddler Carol Newman learns that the wealthy and personable Norman Grafstein has lost his wife, she resolves to marry him off to her lonely mother-in-law, May. Even May's sharp-tongued friend Flo approves of Norman---although Norman's best friend Stan, a cynical professor, keeps getting under Flo's skin.
Will May and Norman eventually find happiness? Will Flo succumb to the charms of the suavely cosmopolitan Mel Shirmer? Misunderstandings abound until love conquers both pride and prejudice in this perceptive, engaging comedy of manners.
Complications and misunderstandings abound in this romantic and perceptive comedy of manners.
Review
"Utterly charming...think Pride and Prejudice, but with better weather."
Vanity Fair
Review
"[A] kosher teacake of a first novel....A silly trifle but clever and fun." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Although certain aspects of the plot seem contrived, this fiction debut by humanities professor Cohen...will amuse readers everywhere." Library Journal
Review
"Finally, a love story involving characters with grandchildren, social security checks, and membership in AARP!...[B]oth satirical and touching..." Jane Heller, author of The Secret Ingredient
Review
"I can't imagine a more perfect afternoon than sitting by a pool reading Jane Austen in Boca....Whether you're from Boca, Brooklyn, or Beverly Hills, be sure to make time to read this very funny book." Joan Rivers
Synopsis
Complications and misunderstandings abound in this romantic and perceptive comedy of manners.
About the Author
Paula Marantz Cohen is Distinguished Professor of English at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She lives in Moorestown, New Jersey, and her in-laws live in Boca Raton, Florida. Her previous non-fiction books include
Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth and
The Daughter as Reader: Encounters Between Literature and Life. This is her first novel.
Reading Group Guide
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a nice Jewish widower must be in want of a wife.
Jane Austen centered her classic novels around "three or four families in a country village." So does Paula Marantz Cohen in this witty twist on Pride and Prejudice---except this time the "village" is Boca Raton, Florida.
Eligible men are scarce in Boca. When good-hearted meddler Carol Newman learns that the wealthy and personable Norman Grafstein has lost his wife, she resolves to marry him off to her lonely mother-in-law, May. Even May's sharp-tongued friend Flo approves of Norman---although Norman's best friend Stan, a cynical professor, keeps getting under Flo's skin.
Will May and Norman eventually find happiness? Will Flo succumb to the charms of the suavely cosmopolitan Mel Shirmer? Misunderstandings abound until love conquers both pride and prejudice in this perceptive, engaging comedy of manners.
Complications and misunderstandings abound in this romantic and perceptive comedy of manners.