More Like Her: A Novel

by Liza Palmer

Overview

A brilliant, hilarious, and touching story from the author of Conversations with the Fat Girl, Liza Palmer’s More Like Her is smart, funny, though-provoking women’s fiction in the vein of Emily Giffin, Marian Keyes, Meg Cabot, and Jane Green. More Like Her is the story of a seemingly perfect woman who’s the envy of her friends, neighbors, and co-workers…until the life of the object of their jealousy spectacularly, unexpectedly, and disastrously explodes. A novel of secrets, disappointments, false impressions—and what really goes on behind those suburban picket fences—More Like Her is ultimately about facing reality and appreciating everything that life has to offer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062007469
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/17/2012
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Liza Palmer is the internationally bestselling author of Conversations with the Fat Girl, Seeing Me Naked, A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents, More Like Her, and Nowhere but Home. An Emmy-nominated writer, she lives in Los Angeles, and is hard at work on her next novel and several film and television projects.

Editorial Reviews

The blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping, and watching Frannie figure out who she is and what matters is gratifying. This will appeal to those who enjoy Jodi Picoult along with chick lit fans willing to read something a little darker. — Library Journal (starred review)

This is sharp, funny, clever and very romantic. The story, about a young woman downsizing her expectations in the wake of a tragedy, might not be new, but Palmer’s handling of it is surprisingly fresh and engaging. — Mirror (London)

The book is a well-plotted examination of domestic violence, chasing unattainable dreams and hiding one’s real self. The dialogue is sparky, the characters engaging and this is by all means a great read. — Daily Mail (London)

“Palmer’s dialogue is reliably natural and funny, and her insights into the way women betray their true selves in search of acceptance are keen and honest.” — Publishers Weekly

“Palmer takes what could be a standard chick-lit story about finding oneself and adds emotional depth through this shockingly violent act. While Palmer’s characters find happiness and closure by the final page, readers will ponder this surprising story for a good, long time.” — Booklist

“Palmer brings wit and wisdom to her tale of love, damage and self-acceptance” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

This is sharp, funny, clever and very romantic. The story, about a young woman downsizing her expectations in the wake of a tragedy, might not be new, but Palmer’s handling of it is surprisingly fresh and engaging.

Mirror (London)

Palmer takes what could be a standard chick-lit story about finding oneself and adds emotional depth through this shockingly violent act. While Palmer’s characters find happiness and closure by the final page, readers will ponder this surprising story for a good, long time.

Booklist

The book is a well-plotted examination of domestic violence, chasing unattainable dreams and hiding one’s real self. The dialogue is sparky, the characters engaging and this is by all means a great read.

Daily Mail (London)

Palmer takes what could be a standard chick-lit story about finding oneself and adds emotional depth through this shockingly violent act. While Palmer’s characters find happiness and closure by the final page, readers will ponder this surprising story for a good, long time.

Booklist

After escaping death in a school shooting, a mild-mannered woman begins to demand a little respect. New headmistress at the Markham School Emma Dunham is beautiful and accomplished--a kind of Grace Kelly figure in the stuffy staff lounge. She is just the kind of woman speech therapist Frannie Reid would like to be, but that would require a kind of easy confidence she can't imagine. Frannie does have a cheering team--Jill, a fellow therapist at Markham, and Lisa, a new science teacher. Their relationship is palpable--they swear and joke and snipe like real friends--and the two encourage Frannie to date since pompous Ryan, head of the history department, dumped her. On a rare faculty night out, she meets Sam. An architect working on an expansion to the school, he is handsome, has a lovely Southern drawl and really gets Frannie. It feels like kismet until the night of Emma Dunham's birthday party at the school. Emma's creepy husband Jamie walks in and shoots Emma in the head. He spins around and begins aiming at anyone close enough, and then Sam gets hold of the gun and shoots. Afterward Sam goes home with Frannie to change out of their bloody clothes, and they have desperate, frightened, bone-shattering, love-inducing sex. And then, they don't see each other for a very long time. Sam is coming to terms with having killed a man (while being praised as a hero) and Frannie is wondering why the woman she wanted to emulate turned out to be an abused wife. Although the romance between Sam and Frannie has pull, Palmer spins a few enticing subplots: Frannie adopts Emma's beautiful dog, Lisa and fellow architect Grady decide to marry after the shock of the shooting, Frannie contacts Emma's estranged sister and finds that their childhood primed Emma for a life of abuse. All this has to happen before Frannie and Sam can decide whether their relationship can survive the shooting. Palmer brings wit and wisdom to her tale of love, damage and self-acceptance.

Kirkus Reviews