cover image Dumped

Dumped

Maryjane Fahey and Caryn Beth Rosenthal. Sellers (www.rsvp.com), $14.95 trade paper (144p) ISBN 978-1-4162-0848-8

After Fahey and Rosenthal both ended long-term relationships on the same Fourth of July weekend, the idea for this bawdy and comical self-help book was born. Here, the duo offers guidance and personal anecdotes to help fellow lady-folk get over break-ups. Their advice is seldom measured, tending as it does toward diatribes and panegyrics, and often screaming off the page in big and brightly colored clich%C3%A9s like "STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!" But perhaps they can be forgiven for their reliance on platitudes%E2%80%94Fahey and Rosenthal are great company, and sometimes the bearers of genuine wisdom: the ladies insist on abandoning hope for closure, noting, "You're never gonna hear what you think you wanna hear." The book is also peppered with inspirational quotes from famous people ranging from Mae West to George Eliot, and is dedicated to Anne Boleyn, "the most famous dumped chick of all time." There is even fun ladies' magazine fare like pop quizzes and suggestions on books and movies to help you get over him (or her). While occasionally trite and predictable, this book will provide some much-needed smiles for readers who find themselves sobbing and newly single. (Sept.)