Synopses & Reviews
Summer 2003 marks fifty years since the height of the cold war and the witch hunts of the McCarthy era. In her widely praised first novel, The War at Home, Nora Eisenberg combined great compassion, observation and humor to render the emotional and cultural complexities of a family whose political beliefs opposed the policies of their government. "Nora Eisenberg paints an intriguing portrait of a red-diaper childhood,"says the Boston Globe. Hailing it a Book Rave of 2002, The Washington Post Book World adds, "With her spiky, keening prose, Eisenberg depicts that world from a child's point of view, deftly mixing nostalgia and knock-kneed vulnerability."
In this radiant new novel, Eisenberg deepens her examination of our political traumas, telling the story of Betsy Ross Vogel, daughter of the infamous Sam Vogel, a self-styled American patriot and charismatic labor leader in the 1950's who, refusing to sign a loyalty oath, runs afoul of the FBI and ends up running for the rest of his life.
At the age of forty, Betsy Vogel is a New York City journalist who bears the emotional scars of her father?s past. With many failed relationships behind her and a loving man very much in her future, Betsy is simply unable to commit. Sexually pliant, generous to a fault, Betsy puts her own best interests last. When, on the eve of a new life, she discovers that Sam, in and out of prison since the day she was born, is not buried in the family plot, indeed may not be dead at all, she's compelled to begin a cross-country journey that leads her to discoveries about her father, herself, and her nation. With a warm, energetic voice, comic characterizations of the eccentric Vogel clan, and a cross-country trip ranging from the condos of Miami Beach to the Santa Monica Pier, Just The Way You Want Me explores the cultural legacies of deeply committed political families and the life-long struggles of their children to measure up to their parents' idealistic dreams.
At the heart of this tragicomic novel matters of love, loyalty, and honesty burn with rare intensity, as do alarming parallels to the politics of today. Then, as now, a ?with us or against us? standard sought to silence those who dared raise their voices against government policy. And sadly, then, as now, children were left to face the frightening repercussions of their parents' political choices.
Review
"Nora Eisenberg is one of our finest contemporary authors. With Just the Way You Want Me she once again brings us her signature blend of dazzling prose, wild wit, and tremendous humanity. This book is a triumph."--Lisa Dierbeck, Author of One Pill Makes You Smaller
Review
"Some of Eisenberg's liveliest writing. Familiar with the foibles and self-deceptions of leftist circles, she portrays this milieu with a mixture of satire and affection. Eisenberg has a sharp eye for the ways in which people manage to deceive themselves [and] deftly portrays the drawbacks of a man so intent on serving his cause and demonstrating his principles that he sacrifices the needs of his wife and children."
-Merle Rubin, The Los Angeles Times, August 4, 2003
Review
"Nora Eisenberg is one of our finest contemporary authors. With Just the Way You Want Me she once again brings us her signature blend of dazzling prose, wild wit, and tremendous humanity. This book is a triumph."--Lisa Dierbeck, Author of One Pill Makes You Smaller
Review
"In this bruising, funny and restless novel, Eisenberg examines the disfiguring legacies of Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist inquisition and supplies a probing meditation on the disorderly world of a far-from-ordinary family, patiently weighing the question of who can be held ultimately to account for their tribulations."-Chris Lehman, The Washington Post, August 5, 2003
Review
?Nora Eisenberg is one of our finest contemporary authors. With Just the Way You Want Me she once again brings us her signature blend of dazzling prose, wild wit, and tremendous humanity. This book is a triumph.? --Lisa Dierbeck, Author of One Pill Makes You Smaller
Review
"Eisenberg follows a woman as she searches for her father,presumed dead for 20 years. The mystery here never overwhelms the charm of Betsy's story, a comfortable balance between seriousness and sweet-natured humor."-Kirkus Reviews, June, 2003
"Eisenberg weaves two distinct plot lines--the strength of familial ties and the insidious effects of McCarthyism--into her vibrant and edifying second novel [an] often humorous odyssey enlivened by the odd assortment of family and friends her protagonist meets along the way."
-American Library Association BookList
Review
"Nora Eisenberg writes with an integrity, energy and social sense rare in contemporary American fiction. With striking compassion and vision, she examines our past,
to find values that might guide us in a troubled present. She is indeed a compelling new voice."--Vivian Gornick
Synopsis
One year after her stunning debut with The War at Home ("Remarkable. Poignant and unforgettable."—Library Journal, starred review), Nora Eisenberg returns with a gripping and humorous new novel about a daughter’s search for the truth about her father.
Suzy Vogel is in her mid-40s. With one failed marriage already behind her, she is simply unable to commit, to a great guy who wants to tie the knot, to a great job as a New York City magazine reporter. Sexually pliant, gen-erous to a fault, her own best interests always come last. When, on the eve of a new life, she discovers that her father, a charismatic ex-convict always in and out of prison for his political organizing, is not buried in the family plot, indeed may not be dead at all, she’s compelled to begin a cross-country journey that leads her to the truth about his heroic altruism and an understanding of the obsessions to please people and to "blend in" that have thwarted her attempts at happiness all her life.
Combining a warm, street-wise voice reminiscent of the early Grace Paley, breathtaking twists of plot, compassionate but outrageous characterizations and a harrowing cross-country bus trip from Ft. Lauderdale to the Santa Monica Pier, Just The Way You Want Me explores the cultural legacies of deeply committed political families and the life-long struggles of their children to measure up to their parents’ idealistic dreams.
Nora Eisenberg’s first novel, The War at Home, won enthusiastic acclaim from critics nationwide. She is a Professor of English at the City University of New York (La Guardia) and the co-author of four influential text books on writing. Her short fiction and prose have appeared in The Partisan Review, The Village Voice, Choice, Tikkun and the Los Angeles Times. She lives in Manhattan.
Synopsis
Nora Eisenberg burst on the literary scene with her stunning debut novel, The War at Home (A Washington Post Book World Book Rave of 2002) a masterful recreation of family life in the 1950?s and one of the most vivid, poignant?and humorous?views of the left wing political family in recent American literature. Now she returns with a gripping new novel about a daughter's search for the truth about her father. Betsy Vogel is turning forty. With a trail of failed relationships behind her and a loving man very much in her future, Betsy is simply unable to commit. Sexually pliant, generous to a fault, Betsy puts her own best interests last. When, on the eve of a fresh start, she discovers that her father, a charismatic ex-convict in and out of prison for labor organizing, is not buried in the family plot, indeed may not be dead at all, she's compelled to begin a cross-country journey that leads her to discoveries about her father, herself, and the dark political history of our nation. At the heart of this tragicomic novel matters of love, loyalty, and the true nature of patriotism burn with rare intensity. With a warm, energetic voice, tender and hilarious characterizations of the eccentric Vogel clan, a cross-country bus trip ranging from the condos of Miami to the Santa Monica Pier, Just the Way You Want Me explores the cultural legacies of deeply committed political families and the life-long struggles of their children to measure up to their parents' idealistic dreams.
Synopsis
A tragicomedy about a NYC journalist's cross-country journey to uncover the mystery of her father's disappearance.
About the Author
The author of the 2002 crirical hit The War at Home, Nora Eisenberg is a professor of english at The City University of New York and the author of four influential text books on writing. Her prose has been published in The Village Voice, The Los Angeles Times, Tikkun, The Partisan Eeview and Choice.