cover image Standing on the Corner of Lost and Found

Standing on the Corner of Lost and Found

Jan Marin Tramontano. CreateSpace, $15 paper (296p) ISBN 978-1-4635-2025-0

In the early 1970s, young Lisa Stern's life focused on protests, social movements, and her boyfriend Mac. However, a car accident takes his life and tears hers apart. Lisa travels to Provincetown with vaguely suicidal intentions, but ends up back in her childhood home of Albany, N.Y. There, she resolves to open a women's center and enlists the help of her friend Marika. While building the center, she meets architect David, who has recently and abruptly separated from his wife. Lisa and David are attracted to each other, but she has misgivings about the relationship. This novel boasts a strong sense of place and time. However, it suffers from poor pacing, which prevents the plot from unfolding in a compelling manner. Lisa remains frozen in indecision far too long. But readers will appreciate the well-drawn characters and the author's realistic portrayal of the period.