A Window Opens

Glamour magazine’s books editor Egan immediately lures female bibliophiles into her protagonist Alice Pearse’s story, when Alice identifies herself as one of them by mentioning her reverence for beloved children’s book series such as Pipi Longstockings and Nancy Drew. That love of books and reading stays paramount even as the middle of the narrative starts to sag. At the outset, Alice’s husband learns he will not make partner at his Manhattan law firm, and her perfectly ordered life is upended. As a mother of three, a part-time magazine editor, and a book club organizer at her friend’s indie bookstore, she realizes she will need a full-time job while her husband sets up a suburban law firm in New Jersey. Just then, a job working for a trendy company’s new venture—creating a national chain of e-book lounges that will also sell first editions—comes her way. Alice’s excitement turns to bewilderment, then disenchantment as the job of her dreams slowly becomes a nightmare while her father’s cancer returns and her husband begins drinking. Though the author successfully skewers start-ups and corporate culture, Alice’s disillusionment with her trendy employer is slow to play out, filling much of the space with repetitive plot developments. Agent: Brettne Bloom, Kneerim, Williams & Bloom. (Aug.)