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The Book of Candy
Undervalued by her philandering husband, Candy has never been taken seriously, a mistake that will cost him plenty when she remakes herself and takes Atlantic City by storm
357 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1996
23 people want to read
About the author
Susan Dworkin
25 books17 followersSusan Dworkin is an unlimited author. She writes books for everyone.
ARE YOU A TRUE HISTORY BUFF? Susan co-wrote the New York Times Best Seller, THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE, with Edith Hahn Beer, the woman who lived this amazing story of love, terror and courage in Hitler's Germany.
ARE YOU A SCIENCE FICTION FAN? Susan's thrill-filled novel, THE COMMONS, is set 150 years in the future, When an ancient plague threatens to destroy the wheat crop, a revolutionary coalition of farmers, scientists and courageous young rock stars must save the world from starvation.
ARE YOU A MOVIE ADDICT? Consider MAKING TOOTSIE, the up-close investigation which Susan wrote when she was the only journalist allowed on the set of the classic gender-bending comedy featuring Dustin Hoffman.
AT MS. MAGAZINE, Dworkin was a contributing editor for more than ten years, interviewing such celebrities as Meryl Streep, Danny Glover, Carol Burnett, and Whoopi Goldberg. She is also a leading AUDIOBOOK PRODUCER, publishing terrific voice versions of authors like Isaac Bashevis Singer, Edna Ferber, Cynthia Ozick and I.L. Peretz.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER? Susan is a delightful and much sought-after lecturer who has cracked up audiences from the Library of Congress to the Crop Science Society. You can hear samples of her speeches -- and find out everything else about her -- by going to her website: www.SusanDworkin.com.
ARE YOU A TRUE HISTORY BUFF? Susan co-wrote the New York Times Best Seller, THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE, with Edith Hahn Beer, the woman who lived this amazing story of love, terror and courage in Hitler's Germany.
ARE YOU A SCIENCE FICTION FAN? Susan's thrill-filled novel, THE COMMONS, is set 150 years in the future, When an ancient plague threatens to destroy the wheat crop, a revolutionary coalition of farmers, scientists and courageous young rock stars must save the world from starvation.
ARE YOU A MOVIE ADDICT? Consider MAKING TOOTSIE, the up-close investigation which Susan wrote when she was the only journalist allowed on the set of the classic gender-bending comedy featuring Dustin Hoffman.
AT MS. MAGAZINE, Dworkin was a contributing editor for more than ten years, interviewing such celebrities as Meryl Streep, Danny Glover, Carol Burnett, and Whoopi Goldberg. She is also a leading AUDIOBOOK PRODUCER, publishing terrific voice versions of authors like Isaac Bashevis Singer, Edna Ferber, Cynthia Ozick and I.L. Peretz.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER? Susan is a delightful and much sought-after lecturer who has cracked up audiences from the Library of Congress to the Crop Science Society. You can hear samples of her speeches -- and find out everything else about her -- by going to her website: www.SusanDworkin.com.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 12, 2009
A Jewish housewife, an R&B singer, and a rabbi (turned comedian) are all trapped in a hotel as a tsunami hits. Sounds like the premise to a joke, but it is actually the inciting incident for these three main characters, as well as for the numerous minor characters who share in the lives of these people.
Their lives intersect each other, directly and indirectly, over the course of the story. These intersections are often comedic if not completely coincidental, but the author does a nice job of establishing this style and tone early. By the end we believe that any crossing of paths is not only possible but likely, necessary even.
Dworkin's characters, and the situations they find themselves in, are larger than life. This is not realism. But the author makes an impact by providing rich and often humorous detail for how her characters grow, and how their lives impact each other, even when thousands of miles apart. Ultimately, every character, even the minor ones, have experienced profound change. By the climax every character, especially the Candy of the title, is radically different.
The tsunami as an inciting device may not completely work, but it does serve as a nice metaphor for how we have to have strength and courage to overcome forces external and internal. The book never quite rises to the level that the opening tsunami portends it might, but it is a fun read, littered with vivid, memorable, and wonderful characters.
Their lives intersect each other, directly and indirectly, over the course of the story. These intersections are often comedic if not completely coincidental, but the author does a nice job of establishing this style and tone early. By the end we believe that any crossing of paths is not only possible but likely, necessary even.
Dworkin's characters, and the situations they find themselves in, are larger than life. This is not realism. But the author makes an impact by providing rich and often humorous detail for how her characters grow, and how their lives impact each other, even when thousands of miles apart. Ultimately, every character, even the minor ones, have experienced profound change. By the climax every character, especially the Candy of the title, is radically different.
The tsunami as an inciting device may not completely work, but it does serve as a nice metaphor for how we have to have strength and courage to overcome forces external and internal. The book never quite rises to the level that the opening tsunami portends it might, but it is a fun read, littered with vivid, memorable, and wonderful characters.
May 9, 2023
What a stroke of good fortune that I answered when this book beckoned to me from the library shelves! I devoured it in several delicious pops and am now re-reading it.
I’m familiar with the Jewish American Princess trope from mostly 80s literature: the over privileged, indulged but ultimately frivolous Jewish young woman whose life centers first on her upbringing in a wealthy family and then on her wealthy husband and lovely children. Candice begins like this but, boy! does her life take some unexpected and fascinating turns! Candy becomes the hero of her own story in myriad believable ways, meeting a raft of soulful and sometimes scary characters who plump the storyline up beautifully.
I just find the novel irresistible.
I’m familiar with the Jewish American Princess trope from mostly 80s literature: the over privileged, indulged but ultimately frivolous Jewish young woman whose life centers first on her upbringing in a wealthy family and then on her wealthy husband and lovely children. Candice begins like this but, boy! does her life take some unexpected and fascinating turns! Candy becomes the hero of her own story in myriad believable ways, meeting a raft of soulful and sometimes scary characters who plump the storyline up beautifully.
I just find the novel irresistible.
August 25, 2025
Loved it all the way through until the ending. Didn’t like that. The writing was very good. I was impressed. Just wish it had ended differently.
April 24, 2011
This was also a Nancy Pearl recommendation. It was kind of a coming-of-age story, except Candy was already an adult. She just had not found her true self yet.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews