Laurie Graham is an author who I don’t see much celebrated but who writes, in my opinion, funny and tender novels which ought to be more read than I suspect they are. I think that I have now read most of them (see my review here for Life According to Lubka which is sort of about the music industry but mostly about the redemption of one woman). I suspect that her problem is that her themes are very variable and her novels are difficult to categorise.
Perfect Meringues is about Lizzie. Lizzie is in her forties and divorced with a daughter that she fails to understand (the lack of understanding is mutual). She is a cook on a daytime TV show and a woman who is looking for love via a dating agency.
The novel follows Lizzie as she has a number of dates, some of which are hilarious, and also as she negotiates the perils of being a minor celebrity. Her tussles with the other presenters on the show are amusing and she is always battling against those who resent her success and others who wish to push her aside. She is also dealing with her daughter and the fallout from her divorce and unhappy relationships with her family.
There’s a lot more depth to this book than would appear at first glance with Lizzie sometimes being infuriating to the reader and at other times being very vulnerable. She makes mistakes but has a large heart and an amazing capacity to endure. Overall the book is very satisfying and the conclusion is excellent.
This book is light-hearted and funny and I enjoyed it very much.
Anne Is Reading 