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Elizabeth the First Wife
The Los Angeles Times –bestselling author of Helen of Pasadena offers a smart, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about new love, new life, and Shakespeare. "A charmingly funny and effortless read....wonderfully developed cast of characters"
― Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW) Elizabeth Lancaster, an English professor at Pasadena City College, finds her perfectly dull but perfectly orchestrated life upended one summer by three her movie-star ex-husband, a charming political operative, and William Shakespeare. Until now, she'd been content living in the shadow of her high-profile and highly accomplished family. Then her college boyfriend and one-time husband of seventeen months, A-list action star FX Fahey, shows up with a job offer that she can't resist, and Elizabeth's life suddenly gets a whole lot more interesting. She's off to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for the summer to make sure FX doesn't humiliate himself in an avant-garde production of A Midsummer Night's Dream .
As she has done so skillfully with her novels, The Sweeney Sisters and Helen of Pasadena , which spent more than a year on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list, Lian Dolan spins a lively, smart, and very funny tale of a woman reinventing her life in unexpected ways.
― Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW) Elizabeth Lancaster, an English professor at Pasadena City College, finds her perfectly dull but perfectly orchestrated life upended one summer by three her movie-star ex-husband, a charming political operative, and William Shakespeare. Until now, she'd been content living in the shadow of her high-profile and highly accomplished family. Then her college boyfriend and one-time husband of seventeen months, A-list action star FX Fahey, shows up with a job offer that she can't resist, and Elizabeth's life suddenly gets a whole lot more interesting. She's off to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for the summer to make sure FX doesn't humiliate himself in an avant-garde production of A Midsummer Night's Dream .
As she has done so skillfully with her novels, The Sweeney Sisters and Helen of Pasadena , which spent more than a year on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list, Lian Dolan spins a lively, smart, and very funny tale of a woman reinventing her life in unexpected ways.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
179 people are currently reading
1371 people want to read
About the author
Lian Dolan
9 books859 followersLian Dolan is a podcaster, producer and writer. She is the creator, producer and host of Satellite Sisters, the award-winning podcast she created with her four real sisters. Satellite Sisters began life as a syndicated radio show in 2000 and has been a top-rated podcast since 2009. Satellite Sisters has won 13 Gracie Allen Awards for Excellence in Women’s Media and been featured on The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 2017, Lian was given the Podcast Pioneer Award by Women in Podcasting.
She is the author of four best-selling novels, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife. Her latest book, Lost and Found in Paris, is out now and is an LA Times Bestseller. She has written regular columns for Pasadena Magazine, O Magazine and Working Mother Magazine.
Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband, Berick Treidler. She has two adult sons and a senior German shepherd.
She is the author of four best-selling novels, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife. Her latest book, Lost and Found in Paris, is out now and is an LA Times Bestseller. She has written regular columns for Pasadena Magazine, O Magazine and Working Mother Magazine.
Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband, Berick Treidler. She has two adult sons and a senior German shepherd.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
June 19, 2013
Originally reviewed here @ Angieville
I fell in love with the title of Lian Dolan's sophomore novel the moment I read it in the email pitch. Then I read on to find out there was Shakespeare. It was a done deal at that point. Honestly, all you have to do is dangle a little Shakespeare in front of me and I am on board. This was my first encounter with Ms. Dolan's work. I had never heard of either of her novels before, and I have to say that ratcheted up my anticipation a bit. It's summer. And I am in the mood to be entertained. By all means, bring on the new-to-me contemporary fiction with a side of Shakespeare and a touch of romance on the side! As far as covers go, I really like these sort of retro chick lit covers both ELIZABETH THE FIRST WIFE and Helen of Pasadena have going on. The're attractive and light, perfect to slip in your bag and pull out as needed on a sunny summer afternoon.
Elizabeth Lancaster has made her peace with her past. What's done is done. She divorced her movie star husband when he cheated on her approximately two seconds in to their ill-fated marriage, and she is now (years down the road) happily installed teaching literature at Pasadena City College. So her ex-husband was her first, possibly final love. So her father is a Nobel Prize-winning scientist she hasn't really talked to in ages. So her mother is the most exhausting of perfectionists. So what? Life is simple. And uncomplicated. And . . . nice. But then her ex walks into her classroom, with that same charming smile and those same alluring shared memories, and tries to talk her into accompanying him to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to spend her summer making sure he doesn't fall on his face doing live theater for the first time in a decade. And she's really not going to go. She isn't. But it would be live theater, A Midsummer Night's Dream no less. It would mean being a part of a serious production. Elizabeth's life has become just small enough that, in the end, she can't quite resist FX's offer. And so against the better judgement of pretty much every sane adult in her life, she heads off to Ashland and that adventure she's been looking for.
What a smart, thoroughly enjoyable read! In the same vein as Liza Palmer's Seeing Me Naked and Liane Moriarty's What Alice Forgot, Lian Dolan weaves together a lovely mosaic of a woman in need of inspiration and revival, of complex and family dynamics that reach into the daily moments of her life, of new possibilities and old mistakes. Elizabeth herself is extremely likable. The history and the current status of her relationship with FX are both presented in a way that reveals two very young, very human people who fell apart but who remain lodestones, of a sort, in each other's lives. I like that no one in the story is demonized, that Elizabeth is allowed to work out her feelings for her ex at the same time as she hesitantly embarks on a somewhat unexpected long-distance relationship with the man running her brother-in-law's political campaign. I enjoyed watching both arcs unfold simultaneously, the one bittersweet, the other exciting in its newness. Elizabeth's nighttime Skypes with the man squatting in her home for the length of the campaign were both humorous and charming. You can't help but root for them. Add to that Elizabeth's hilarious modernized Shakespearean dating advice, and you have the elements of a very good time indeed. Having attended regional Shakespeare festivals in the past, I thoroughly enjoyed Dolan's portrayal of Ashland and the antics of the colorful cast and crew of this racy adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Elizabeth's family, from her overbearing mother to her seemingly perfect and driven sisters, provided an excellent backdrop for her professional and personal quandaries. I finished ELIZABETH THE FIRST WIFE in two satisfying sessions and will be checking out Helen of Pasadena soon.
I fell in love with the title of Lian Dolan's sophomore novel the moment I read it in the email pitch. Then I read on to find out there was Shakespeare. It was a done deal at that point. Honestly, all you have to do is dangle a little Shakespeare in front of me and I am on board. This was my first encounter with Ms. Dolan's work. I had never heard of either of her novels before, and I have to say that ratcheted up my anticipation a bit. It's summer. And I am in the mood to be entertained. By all means, bring on the new-to-me contemporary fiction with a side of Shakespeare and a touch of romance on the side! As far as covers go, I really like these sort of retro chick lit covers both ELIZABETH THE FIRST WIFE and Helen of Pasadena have going on. The're attractive and light, perfect to slip in your bag and pull out as needed on a sunny summer afternoon.
Elizabeth Lancaster has made her peace with her past. What's done is done. She divorced her movie star husband when he cheated on her approximately two seconds in to their ill-fated marriage, and she is now (years down the road) happily installed teaching literature at Pasadena City College. So her ex-husband was her first, possibly final love. So her father is a Nobel Prize-winning scientist she hasn't really talked to in ages. So her mother is the most exhausting of perfectionists. So what? Life is simple. And uncomplicated. And . . . nice. But then her ex walks into her classroom, with that same charming smile and those same alluring shared memories, and tries to talk her into accompanying him to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to spend her summer making sure he doesn't fall on his face doing live theater for the first time in a decade. And she's really not going to go. She isn't. But it would be live theater, A Midsummer Night's Dream no less. It would mean being a part of a serious production. Elizabeth's life has become just small enough that, in the end, she can't quite resist FX's offer. And so against the better judgement of pretty much every sane adult in her life, she heads off to Ashland and that adventure she's been looking for.
What a smart, thoroughly enjoyable read! In the same vein as Liza Palmer's Seeing Me Naked and Liane Moriarty's What Alice Forgot, Lian Dolan weaves together a lovely mosaic of a woman in need of inspiration and revival, of complex and family dynamics that reach into the daily moments of her life, of new possibilities and old mistakes. Elizabeth herself is extremely likable. The history and the current status of her relationship with FX are both presented in a way that reveals two very young, very human people who fell apart but who remain lodestones, of a sort, in each other's lives. I like that no one in the story is demonized, that Elizabeth is allowed to work out her feelings for her ex at the same time as she hesitantly embarks on a somewhat unexpected long-distance relationship with the man running her brother-in-law's political campaign. I enjoyed watching both arcs unfold simultaneously, the one bittersweet, the other exciting in its newness. Elizabeth's nighttime Skypes with the man squatting in her home for the length of the campaign were both humorous and charming. You can't help but root for them. Add to that Elizabeth's hilarious modernized Shakespearean dating advice, and you have the elements of a very good time indeed. Having attended regional Shakespeare festivals in the past, I thoroughly enjoyed Dolan's portrayal of Ashland and the antics of the colorful cast and crew of this racy adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Elizabeth's family, from her overbearing mother to her seemingly perfect and driven sisters, provided an excellent backdrop for her professional and personal quandaries. I finished ELIZABETH THE FIRST WIFE in two satisfying sessions and will be checking out Helen of Pasadena soon.
October 28, 2014
The genre I call boychik lit is centered on men. Chick lit – like Sex and the City – is relationship games for women. Sometimes I read chick lit to see what our better halves are thinking. Elizabeth the First Wife is about Elizabeth Lancaster, a Shakespeare scholar from Pasadena, who is recently divorced from a famous Hollywood boy-toy. He barges back into her life to ask her to coach him in a production of Midsummer Night’s Dream, which he hopes will help him shake his reputation as an empty-headed hunk. As they prepare to do the show at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, real-life lovers chase each other ridiculously around the maypole of both serious and casual relationships. Men, you might read Elizabeth the First Wife to find out what they think, but if you think you’ll get a clue, think again. (My new novel Christmas Karma is also set in Pasadena, and I’m hoping women as well as men will find it funny.)
July 22, 2013
This was a fun summer read, chick lit gussied up with some Shakespeare. Elizabeth Lancaster is the youngest daughter in a seriously overachieving Pasadena family that shakes its collective head at her job teaching English at a community college and her single status. She had a disastrous marriage to her college sweetheart, and Dolan does a great job filling in the backstory that explains Elizabeth’s choices since then. When her ex-husband – now the star of a huge action movie franchise – shows up and asks her to join him at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival as advisor and support system, old wounds are opened and new opportunities (both professional and personal) appear. The supporting cast of Elizabeth’s family is especially well-drawn.
August 21, 2013
http://www.gerberadaisydiaries.com/20...
One day Elizabeth Lancaster is teaching her college level Intro to Shakespeare class – the next, she’s off to Ashland Oregon, as a consultant for a newly imagined production of the Bard’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, staring none other than her ex husband, FX Fahey (think Hugh Jackman) and directed by superstar Taz Buchanan (think Baz Luhrmann). Her summer is filled with all things Shakespeare – but the drama is not confined to the stage – the arrival of her family sets in motion a comedy of errors and love interests that the Bard would truly appreciate.
This was SO my book: I loved the theatrical setting; I loved ALL the references to Shakespeare; I loved the comparisons between Shakespeare’s characters and their real life counterparts (Henry V & Katherine = Duke & Duchess of Cambridge); I loved that she had Team Romeo vs. Team Hamlet vs. Team Twilight (Edward doesn’t stand a chance!); it was witty, it was smart, it was clever – something I would never attribute to “chick lit.”
But here is the rub:
I had 3 serious issues that I just couldn’t get past:
• During the casting of the production it is mentioned that the actors were cast by the OSF, not the director, Taz Buchanan – no way would that happen!! At least not in my theatre world.
• When referencing Elizabeth’s father winning the Nobel Prize, he is said to be attending on the arm of “Princess Sophia.” There is NO Princess Sophia of Sweden. (Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine).
• But this is the kicker – she has Elizabeth I “executing her sister, Mary Queen of Scots.” NOOOOOOOOO!!! Mary Queen of Scots was NOT HER SISTER!! She was her cousin (and a 2nd or 3rd at that…I think). Mary I was her sister! How does this slip by an editor? Even I, lowly public school educated, state undergraduate degree awarded reader, knows that they weren’t sisters.
So…suffice it to say…the book I was ready to award 4 stars, dropped to a 3.
Totally took the shine off my reading experience.
But yes…overall, it was still fun.
One day Elizabeth Lancaster is teaching her college level Intro to Shakespeare class – the next, she’s off to Ashland Oregon, as a consultant for a newly imagined production of the Bard’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, staring none other than her ex husband, FX Fahey (think Hugh Jackman) and directed by superstar Taz Buchanan (think Baz Luhrmann). Her summer is filled with all things Shakespeare – but the drama is not confined to the stage – the arrival of her family sets in motion a comedy of errors and love interests that the Bard would truly appreciate.
This was SO my book: I loved the theatrical setting; I loved ALL the references to Shakespeare; I loved the comparisons between Shakespeare’s characters and their real life counterparts (Henry V & Katherine = Duke & Duchess of Cambridge); I loved that she had Team Romeo vs. Team Hamlet vs. Team Twilight (Edward doesn’t stand a chance!); it was witty, it was smart, it was clever – something I would never attribute to “chick lit.”
But here is the rub:
I had 3 serious issues that I just couldn’t get past:
• During the casting of the production it is mentioned that the actors were cast by the OSF, not the director, Taz Buchanan – no way would that happen!! At least not in my theatre world.
• When referencing Elizabeth’s father winning the Nobel Prize, he is said to be attending on the arm of “Princess Sophia.” There is NO Princess Sophia of Sweden. (Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine).
• But this is the kicker – she has Elizabeth I “executing her sister, Mary Queen of Scots.” NOOOOOOOOO!!! Mary Queen of Scots was NOT HER SISTER!! She was her cousin (and a 2nd or 3rd at that…I think). Mary I was her sister! How does this slip by an editor? Even I, lowly public school educated, state undergraduate degree awarded reader, knows that they weren’t sisters.
So…suffice it to say…the book I was ready to award 4 stars, dropped to a 3.
Totally took the shine off my reading experience.
But yes…overall, it was still fun.
May 20, 2013
This is a funny, entertaining, easy summer read that also is smart, well-written and well-researched. Elizabeth Lancaster, a community college Shakespeare professor, gets roped into helping her movie star ex-husband (FX Fahey) with the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream he is starring in at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. When she arrives, the position isn't exactly what she was expecting, and Elizabeth spends the summer keeping FX from humilitating himself and reinventing herself in the process. Dolan writes great female characters that are funny, nuanced and believable. There is conflict and drama without out falling into sterotypes and expected scenarios. The use of Elizabeth's Shakespearean relationship book she is writing, All's Well, gives the novel an interresting structure and gives Dolan's witty sense of humor a chance to really shine. I laughed out loud several times. But this book for yourself to read on summer vacation and buy another couple copies as gifts. This book has wide appeal. I'm excited to see what Dolan does next
May 26, 2013
This is one of the most charming, fun-filled books that I've read this spring!
The storyline is clever and intelligent, the characters are realistic and interesting, and the tale moves along fast, keeping the reader just captivated to the very end. I loved how Dolan included a book within a book that carries the story along as well. Who knew Shakespeare could be so much fun?
If you are looking for a fun book to enjoy over the long weekend or a great beach read, check out "Elizabeth The First Wife." I guarantee you'll be glad you did!
The storyline is clever and intelligent, the characters are realistic and interesting, and the tale moves along fast, keeping the reader just captivated to the very end. I loved how Dolan included a book within a book that carries the story along as well. Who knew Shakespeare could be so much fun?
If you are looking for a fun book to enjoy over the long weekend or a great beach read, check out "Elizabeth The First Wife." I guarantee you'll be glad you did!
April 23, 2019
Loved reading this...fun examples/comparisons of Shakespeare’s characters sprinkled throughout. Family relationships explored in a fairly realistic manner.
Extensive knowledge of Shakespeare not required!
Extensive knowledge of Shakespeare not required!
August 6, 2018
I found myself losing sleep because I would stay up past my bedtime to read. Enjoyed this book.
August 27, 2019
I thought this was a lot of fun, although it felt much more self-conscious than Helen of Pasadena. Though it employs the same general narrative of Helen-“woman who is ‘past her prime’, with a failed marriage and feeling inferior or disconnected from her family finds love and fulfillment through academia”-which is something I can totally get behind (academia! Love! Romantic bitterness! Girl power! Were these books written specifically for me?). Except that, while in Helen of Pasadena the main character’s life is literally falling apart around her, Elizabeth’s life is completely fine. Sure, she’s not in a relationship and hasn’t achieved the same prestige as her family, but she also doesn’t do anything to change that, she specifically says that she likes teaching at a community college. Her family relationships are mostly good and non-dysfunctional. She’s financially stable and most of her financial concerns come from a non-essential kitchen renovation. Her life isn’t perfect, but it’s not calamitous. Most of her complaints are either things that she could change if she really wanted to or completely normal.
Otherwise, like many works that attempt to depict academia, is that the way Elizabeth discussed the texts felt somewhat high school.
Otherwise, like many works that attempt to depict academia, is that the way Elizabeth discussed the texts felt somewhat high school.
June 21, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was laugh out loud funny. Although the plot was predictable, I tend to really like that over the summer. The main character is witty, and although I wouldn't argue that she is very dynamic, I thought her commentary on the world around her was so funny and accessible. It made her believable, because it sounds so much like the way my sister and I talk to each other. This is a great pool side read, and a cure from the melancholy family drama books that Barns and Noble is passing off as 'great summer reads' . Its a romantic comedy and it gives you just that with a believable sassy-in-her-own-head heroine
June 27, 2013
The cutesy cover and the corny lists almost made me put this book back on the shelf. I'm glad I didn't!! Sure, the plot is a bit cookie-cutter and there will be no surprises here, but the snappy inner dialogue of the heroine puts this book a step above other summer chick-lit reads. Her portrayal of the yearning and regret regarding Elizabeth's short-lived marriage rang true. This is the perfect summer beach read!
Bernadette Walsh
http://www.bernadettewalsh.com
Bernadette Walsh
http://www.bernadettewalsh.com
August 28, 2013
Fabulous book! I haven't read many books where I've thought, gee, I wish I were the character but this one made me feel that way. I loved Elizabeth's life, as crazy as it got, but it was also filled with a wonderful family and some really great guys. Books like this make me glad I'm not a speed reader because I really enjoy the journey a book takes me on.
I look forward to reading Ms. Dolan's next book and will certainly go back and read her first one. Well done!
I look forward to reading Ms. Dolan's next book and will certainly go back and read her first one. Well done!
March 31, 2016
I really enjoyed Lian Dolan's first book, Helen of Pasadena. I was hoping that the same writing magic would be in this second book, Elizabeth the First Wife. I'm pleased to say that the second book is even better. It's fun, witty, and smartly written. It's a lesson in Shakespeare wrapped up in chic-lit but very satisfying. Take a chance on this one...highly recommended!
May 22, 2013
Fantastically funny! I really enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud right up to the end. The story is great, but the pop culture references and zingers do it for me. This book tops Dolan's Helen of Pasadena and launches my summer reading season. Well done!
May 6, 2013
This book is so much fun. What a great second novel from Lian Dolan. I can't wait to read her third! I think she could also do a memoir about growing up with her seven brothers and sisters and her adult life with kids, parents, and siblings. She is entertaining but also thoughtful and insightful.
May 19, 2013
This is a smart, entertaining, and clean book. I loved the clever references to Shakespearian couples and the likable and intelligent Elizabeth. Just the kind of book to pick up and just enjoy yourself for a few days.
May 29, 2013
An easy, charming read, the perfect air-plane book. Loved the Shakespearean asides which made me want to go back to the plays to reread the heroines. And I'm so going to Ashland next summer, fictional or not!
July 17, 2014
Egyszeri olvasmánynak elment, kevés oldalszám, kevés történet. Egy kicsivel több Rafa és egy kicsivel kevesebb Amerika sokat dobott volna a történeten. Az ötlet jó, a megvalósítás egy kicsit gyenge. :)
January 26, 2015
Brava, brava! This book was a whip-smart, cracklingly funny and sexy read. I think I'm going to re-read it mid-summer, and every mid-summer after that.
May 27, 2013
What fun! Great, catchy characters, deliciously-described settings, wry observations and a fantastic concept with the book-in-book. Brava!
November 30, 2014
Shakespearean chick lit with a happy ending; what's not to like?
August 1, 2013
Fun light read. If you are familiar with Pasadena, CA you will instantly get a kick out of this book as well as her first novel, Helen of Pasadena. Fun to re-explore Shakespeare again as well.
September 7, 2013
This book was entertaining. The way each Chapter began with quotes from Shakespeare was intriguing. Wasn't sure what to expect by the title, however it was an easy read.
May 17, 2014
Fun, frothy read of a woman coming into her own outside her family and ex-husband's shadow.
June 24, 2020
This is, without a doubt, the whitest book I have ever read.
Elizabeth the First Wife is about Elizabeth Lancaster, a thirty-something professor of Shakespeare at Pasadena Community College. Daughter of a Nobel-winning professor at Cal Tech and a socialite who is running the fundraising for this year's Showcase house, sister to a doctor and a congressman's wife, she's the ugly duckling of the family.
Boo hoo.
Her life is suddenly uprooted when her ex-husband (they were young! and in college! and in love!) suddenly waltzes back into her life. Her ex, FX Fahey went from being a struggling actor out of NYU to a full-blown Hollywood leading man. Now he's asking her to tag along to Ashland, Oregon to keep him from making a fool of himself as he stars in a production of Midsummer Night's Dream directed by the brilliant but wacky Taz Buchanan. Because if there's anywhere whiter than Pasadena, its Ashland, Oregon.
Surprise, she goes! Surprise, she finds herself after some spontaneous hijinks and unplanned shenanigans! Surprise, she finds love, but not without her overbearing family getting in the way! Aww...
I can't hate on this book too much, because a secret part of me enjoyed the Pasadena inside jokes, but this was such a ridiculous story. This was designed for a tiny, tiny, tiny sliver of an audience, and being Pasadena adjacent, I guess it makes me audience adjacent.
But this book was so hilariously frivolous in so many places, I started keeping track... Please to enjoy:
"A buttery pastry and a nonfat latte. Girl's gotta cut back somewhere."
(Upon picking up the phone) "Oh no. 'Rafa? My mistake, I thought you were...never mind.' My face was suddenly flushed and I felt the urge to put on lipstick. How did my hair look?"
"Maddie rolled her eyes as we headed out the door. 'That would never have happened in Pasadena.' That's true. We might not boast as many movie stars as Brentwood or Beverly Hills, but Pasadeneans were sophisticated enough to let a guy eat his turkey sandwich in peace."
"Sabrina was striking in that 'Nicole Kidman is my Personal Jesus' kind of way."
"And I used dry shampoo for the first time in twenty years and it worked like crazy. My hair looked fantastic. Mental note: Get more Psssssst."
"One of my mother's mantras was, 'When the going gets tough, the tough get mowing'... We never actually mowed our own lawn, the perks of living in an area with an endless supply of affordable gardeners."
"All that waxing for nothing."
"We were, in fact, a family of parade snobs...when you're used to the majestic Rose Parade every New Year's Day...Of course, we were too polite to point out the obvious: Decorated shopping carts don't exactly impress Pasadeneans."
And my personal favorite:
"I went for the basics: local produce, a sampling of soft cheeses courtesy of the goats of the Rogue River Valley, and a few prepared foods, including quinoa nut loaf. Nut loaf!"
Elizabeth the First Wife is about Elizabeth Lancaster, a thirty-something professor of Shakespeare at Pasadena Community College. Daughter of a Nobel-winning professor at Cal Tech and a socialite who is running the fundraising for this year's Showcase house, sister to a doctor and a congressman's wife, she's the ugly duckling of the family.
Boo hoo.
Her life is suddenly uprooted when her ex-husband (they were young! and in college! and in love!) suddenly waltzes back into her life. Her ex, FX Fahey went from being a struggling actor out of NYU to a full-blown Hollywood leading man. Now he's asking her to tag along to Ashland, Oregon to keep him from making a fool of himself as he stars in a production of Midsummer Night's Dream directed by the brilliant but wacky Taz Buchanan. Because if there's anywhere whiter than Pasadena, its Ashland, Oregon.
Surprise, she goes! Surprise, she finds herself after some spontaneous hijinks and unplanned shenanigans! Surprise, she finds love, but not without her overbearing family getting in the way! Aww...
I can't hate on this book too much, because a secret part of me enjoyed the Pasadena inside jokes, but this was such a ridiculous story. This was designed for a tiny, tiny, tiny sliver of an audience, and being Pasadena adjacent, I guess it makes me audience adjacent.
But this book was so hilariously frivolous in so many places, I started keeping track... Please to enjoy:
"A buttery pastry and a nonfat latte. Girl's gotta cut back somewhere."
(Upon picking up the phone) "Oh no. 'Rafa? My mistake, I thought you were...never mind.' My face was suddenly flushed and I felt the urge to put on lipstick. How did my hair look?"
"Maddie rolled her eyes as we headed out the door. 'That would never have happened in Pasadena.' That's true. We might not boast as many movie stars as Brentwood or Beverly Hills, but Pasadeneans were sophisticated enough to let a guy eat his turkey sandwich in peace."
"Sabrina was striking in that 'Nicole Kidman is my Personal Jesus' kind of way."
"And I used dry shampoo for the first time in twenty years and it worked like crazy. My hair looked fantastic. Mental note: Get more Psssssst."
"One of my mother's mantras was, 'When the going gets tough, the tough get mowing'... We never actually mowed our own lawn, the perks of living in an area with an endless supply of affordable gardeners."
"All that waxing for nothing."
"We were, in fact, a family of parade snobs...when you're used to the majestic Rose Parade every New Year's Day...Of course, we were too polite to point out the obvious: Decorated shopping carts don't exactly impress Pasadeneans."
And my personal favorite:
"I went for the basics: local produce, a sampling of soft cheeses courtesy of the goats of the Rogue River Valley, and a few prepared foods, including quinoa nut loaf. Nut loaf!"
December 30, 2017
The author of this novel, Lian Dolan, expects us to believe that a young Shakespeare professor at a community college in Pasadena, CA, was once married to a movie star recently voted People's sexiest man alive and also has a father who has won the Nobel Prize in physics. I suppose that is remotely possible; but, to me, it is like an indicator light flashing "amateur novelist." I decided to consider this novel a lightweight beach read and that's pretty much what I got. It was mildly entertaining. From the moment Elizabeth, the main character, meets Rafa, who is to occupy her house while she is out of town, you know that they will fall in love. There are a few messages in the book: don't let others set your goals, try new things, Shakespeare's writing applies today . . . deep and provocative revelations such as those. I did like her description of hippie haven Ashland, Oregon, which seems dead-on. Even so, I wouldn't bother with this one. The writing is truly mediocre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2020
I liked this one even better than "Helen of Pasadena"! Elizabeth is a fabulous protagonist, and I loved the book-within-a-book set-up that framed each chapter. The modern interpretations of Shakespeare were hilarious. I sometimes don't like the black sheep trope because I think the unsupportive family dynamic is too much. This was a fun interpretation--she's only a black sheep (if you can even call it that) because she's only a high achiever instead of insanely high achiever, but her family is still there for her (her mom is a little crazy, and Bea is intense, but her dad is a nice balance). I liked the storyline and thought Rafa was very cute.
August 23, 2020
Of course I loved this! It’s about a Shakespeare teacher (which I used to be), and the Medford Oregon Shakespeare festival. Liz (the teacher) was briefly married after college to a man who went on to be a star. She has since become a college professor, and loves her junior college job, despite her overachieving family wanting something more prestigious for her. Her ex husband suddenly reappears. He wants to do “quality work,” so he hires Liz to be his advisor for his role as Theseus/Oberon in the Oregon Shakespeare festival. There are thinly disguised famous characters (a Baz Lehrman who becomes “Taz,” etc., but that doesn’t detract from a great Shakespearean romp!
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October 2, 2022This was a fun read, my kind of read! I love a relatable and intelligent protagonist, this one being a professor of Shakespeare at a community college. She is still finding her voice in her strong family (again, relatable). She is unlucky in love, but simultaneously content, independent, and has a sense of humor. I wouldn't want to have a refresher of Shakespeare from anyone other than Lian Dolan! She did it with humor and with a modern and relevant spin. I also adore reading about Pasadena, a neighbor to my hometown of La Canada, and understanding all that that setting offers, and then being taken on vacation with the protagonist to somewhere new, this time, to Ashland, Oregon. Very fun!
April 19, 2024
I picked up this book because (1) of my love for the Satellite Sisters podcast, (2) I liked The Sweeney Sisters and Lost and Found in Paris, and (3) I am on the library waiting list for The Marriage Sabbatical. Turns out that I really enjoyed Elizabeth - it was fun, and I loved the settings and the characters. And it made me actually think that I might want to read Shakespeare, given her pop culture descriptions of all of the Shakespearean characters. I haven't looked at Shakespeare since high school, and I just received the library notice that I can pick up The Marriage Sabbatical, so Shakespeare will probably have to wait.
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