Maria Semple’s new book is a must read! Everyone will recognize something of themselves in the main character, Eleanor Flood. She vows at the book’s beginning to start life, or at least the day, anew, including to “look [people] in the eye and listen deeply” as well as to wear “yoga clothes only for yoga.” As this quirky gal’s day careens from bad to worse, we meet her solid, stable surgeon husband; her poetry mentor; and her young son who seems to know her better than anyone. We also meet Eleanor’s sister, Ivy, whose story, along with her New Orleans aristocrat husband, Bucky, could easily become Semple’s next book. Don’t miss this one!

Ginger, Breakwater Books, Guilford