A Clean Slate

by Laura Caldwell

A Clean Slate chronicles the days of Kelly McGraw, a Chicago woman who suddenly can't remember the last five months of her life, a time when she was dumped by her soon-to-be fiance and laid off by the company she thought would make her partner. Overwhelmed and confused but otherwise feeling wonderful, she begins to realize that she has a clean slate in life. She can do anything she wants, go anywhere she wants, be anything she wants. But what, exactly, does she want?

Follow Kelly on a journey that includes her search to discover what caused her memory loss, an internship with a bad-boy British photographer, a Caribbean photo shoot, her boyfriend's desire to come crawling back and, eventually, a brutal discovery that will cause her to reevaluate both her old and new lives.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Laura Caldwell is a Chicago-based lawyer turned novelist. Her first book, Burning the Map, was selected by Barnes & Noble.com as one of The Best of 2002. Following that, A Clean Slate received a starred review from Booklist. The release of The Year of Living Famously and The Night I Got Lucky prompted Booklist to declare, “Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive...writers around.”

Laura began publishing thrillers and suspense novels in 2005. Her debut mystery, Look Closely, received critical acclaim and The Chicago Sun-Times called The Rome Affair “Caldwell’s most exciting book yet…a summer must-read.” The Rome Affair, which centers around a Chicago society couple riding a roller coaster of infidelity, blackmail and murder, pulled Laura into a real-life, highly-profiled murder trial involving a 19-year old suspect forced into a confession and wrongfully jailed for a crime he did not commit. Laura became one of the attorneys who represented the suspect pro bono, resulting in a not-guilty verdict.

Laura's newest is an international thriller, The Good Liar. Bestselling author Ken Bruen calls it "a massive achievement." Publisher's Weekly lauds it as "a taut, enjoyable thriller." And New York Times bestselling author James Rollins said, "THE GOOD LIAR strikes like an assassin's bullet: sudden, swift, precise, deadly. Here is a taut international thriller certain to keep readers breathless and awake until the wee hours of the morning. Not to be missed." Her work has been translated into ten languages and published in over twenty countries.

Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a trial attorney, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. She is published in the legal field and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at her alma mater, Loyola University Chicago, where she teaches Advanced Writing for Litigation. She recently received the St. Robert Bellarmine award for distinguished contributions to the profession and the Loyola School of Law. In the summer of 2008, she will be teaching International Criminal Law at Loyola's campus in Rome, Italy.

Laura is also a freelance magazine writer. Her work has been published in Chicago Magazine, Woman's Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman's Weekly, Shore Magazine and others. Her work can also be seen in Everything I Needed to Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume (Pocket Books, 2007), It's A Wonderful Lie: Truth About Life In Your Twenties (Warner, 2006), Girl's Night In II (Red Dress Ink, 2006) Flirting With Pride & Prejudice (BenBella Books, 2005) and Welcome to Wisteria Lane: On America's Favorite Desperate Housewives (BenBella Books, 2006).

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I debated writing this review because I didn’t finish it. When the main character starts talking about the virtues of having lost weight due to depression and how pleased she is with her new angular body, I had to stop reading. That mindset is so unhealthy and I didn’t want to invite it in. I hope the character turns around and learns to love herself no matter her size or circumstance but I’m not super interested in reading about it.

[Gerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a typical chick lit book, although it did have some of those elements with a twist. I liked how it didn't have a neat and tidy happily-ever-after ending. It was more realistic in that the character doesn't know what will happen, but she is optimistic. I liked how she sucks it up in the end and takes jobs that she thinks are "beneath" her in order to pursue her passion. She doesn't automatically start out making big bucks doing photography. She starts at the bottom as an assistant making a measly hourly wage. She doesn't end up with a guy in the end either, but she's okay with that and there are possibilities. I also liked the friendship between her and Laney - how the book focused on her female friendship more than the romantic relationship. It makes you think about what's important and what you would do if you could start all over again.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book years ago at a library sale, but it feels like fate that I didn’t pick it up to read until my thirtieth year; the same year the main character is in when her life begins to fall apart. What a wonderful reminder that our lives are what we make them, and it’s never too late to start over and trying something new. The characters were lovable, the writing voice was engaging, and the ending was satisfying! Great read.

[Jennnq Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reeks of privilege and mediocre writing ability.

If you need a good cringe, you might find it here! The following sentence actually occurs in the text:

"Because Ben worshipped at the Church of Holy Workouts he had an amazing body, something that benefited me as well as him."

That is shameful and absolutely should have been chopped in an edit. Luckily for the reader such gems are sprinkled throughout the novel.

The author uses status and wealth as a way of telling and not showing us details. For example, at one point we are told that our main character has pulled on a summer dress she got "from Saks." That's it. Nothing about colour, what it looks like, whether it's blowing in the breeze, whether it's sleeveless or she hates the fabric...just a reminder that this awful woman can still afford it.

And she IS awful. She may be found yelling at the person in the laundromat who can't find her clothes (why would she have a ticket or need to play by the rules?), intensely focused on money and looking good all the time, celebrating the fact that she lost weight during her depression, or
instantly turning her back on her best friend when there's a tiny chance she might to reunite with the man who broke her heart.

Whole lotta stereotypes in this one too. Gay men? Fabulous and fashionable. Models? Young, stupid and appropriate gossip fodder. Best friend? Personality of a golden retriever who likes to party.

Not to mention the bizarro plot. "Hey, I can't remember the last 5 months of my life. Oh well, let's go shopping!"

SPOILER:
Also, what is up with forgiving creeps who sleep with 15-year-olds? The author tries to play this as just an innocent mistake, and I am SO not here for it. Cole is a photographer who is cool with drugging a young model and bedding her. He is written SYMPATHETICALLY, because after all it's in the past. (Gross, but also too bad, a he was probably the best character, until we learn of his "mistake," which, yes, we are expected to forgive him for.)

Also, the ending felt very shoehorned in. Everything happened so quickly. All loose ends tied up perfectly (a little too perfectly) in a bow.

Not recommended. No idea why anyone would give this 4 stars. Helpful in reinforcing body image issues. (The main character's mother is also a gossip columnist who comments on teenager's bodies for a living, so it's easy to see where she gets it from!) Honestly pretty stupid. I wouldn't like these egotistical people in real life.

If you lose your memory, see a damn doctor.

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars I do miss the Red Dress Ink line. They had some great books, and this was one of them. I first read it about 10 years ago, and it definitely held up on reread.

While it has more than a few touches of humor and a heroine who has some great adventures, A Clean Slate is a bit more thoughtful than the average chick lit. The heroine, Kelly McGraw, lives in Chicago and the book opens as readers discover along with her that she cannot remember the last 5 months of her life. She quickly learns that she has been laid off from her job and that her long-term boyfriend dumped her on her birthday rather than proposing as she had expected. Oh, and her house is no longer hers and she has no idea what she's been doing with her life. Scary stuff indeed.

Yet, somehow Kelly starts to open up to the possibilities of living life with her slate wiped clean. With few memories of how she lost her job, she ends up deciding to spend some time living on her severance pay while pursuing her long-buried passion for photography. And yes, her photographer's assistant job just might work out a little too perfectly for her, but after all she's been through, there's some happy wish fulfillment in reading about Kelly's successes in reinventing her life.

There are some romantic escapades as well, but these are fairly muted and form only a minor part of the story. The real focus is on Kelly learning how to craft the life she wants instead of the one expected of her. I liked her as a character and I enjoyed seeing her making choices and finding her way.

[Kyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt like the reverse of many stories: instead of the main character struggling throughout and arriving victorious at the conclusion it seemed to be the other way around. I really thought there'd be more twists and turns to figure out why Kelly suffered from her memory loss but nothing is really revealed until the last 20 pages or so. I was hoping for more of a puzzle to figure out. Having said that, I did like the development of many of the supporting characters, I think that's what kept me interested and motivated to keep reading. Overall good but won't make any top lists for me

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/15762...

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Aqram Amri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hai I'm from malaysian, this book is very fun and not boring. Nice story

[Writer's Relief · Rating 4 out of 5]

At some point in life, you may have wished for a new beginning, a chance to erase all of your misfortunes. In Laura Caldwell’s A CLEAN SLATE, Kelly McGraw is suddenly given an opportunity to start over from scratch and is left to wonder…why?

Her life was going according to plan: Her long-time boyfriend was on the cusp of proposing, she recently moved into an amazing Chicago townhouse, and her boss was sure to name her partner of the firm.

But Kelly wakes up one morning to find that she is now single, unemployed, and has absolutely no memory of the last five months. Feeling completely rejuvenated with the chance to begin again, Kelly isn’t sure she wants to know what caused her memory loss; after all, she’s experiencing freedom and happiness she hadn’t known existed. But just because she can’t remember the last five months doesn’t mean the problems that she left behind are gone forever too.

A CLEAN SLATE will have you thinking about the many possibilities in life and the benefits of embracing change. Laura Caldwell perfectly blends humor, suspense, and dynamic relationships in a way that have you bonding with her characters and turning the pages.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good quick read. I liked the story, it was fun & light.

Although there was nothing earth shattering or truly breathtaking about this book, the characters were likable enough and the (not too subtle) underlying theme/moral of the story is universal. Everyone needs a reminder to stay true to themselves and not get caught up in the daily grind and expectations of society from time to time.

Caldwell was able to convey this gentle reminder throughout the story without the use of symbology and metaphor and fanciful prose. Instead, she simply wove the main characters woes and worries into a tale that nearly everyone can relate to on some level. It made for a nice, easy read that in the end has the reader taking stock trying to remember what is truly important to them so that they may embrace that in their life.

[Alarra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Fairly standard chick lit, where the female protagonist undergoes some painful emotional life change (in this case, her boyfriend dumps her on her 30th birthday, just after she's been fired) but finds that ultimately it's the best thing that could've happened to her because it enables her to find her true life goal and partner. There's a small twist, but I was disappointed with that in the end, because they could've used the twist and explored so much more, but it stuck to very safe, familiar ground.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second Laura Caldwell book I have read, the first being The Rome Affair. I liked them both. This one in particular was a very quick read--not very deep, but fast-moving. I live in the Chicago area, so enjoyed all of the city references and this was also true in The Rome Affair as well. Not extremely memorable, but a nice break. The story moved along quickly, I liked the main character and was looking forward to how Caldwell would bring everything to light.

[Kayleigh P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Likely read 2012-2014. Classic amnesia story about starting over. I think I read this in close proximity to What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. This story paled in comparison to Alice’s, likely because there was minimal mystery aspect- it was more a author inserted fantasy about what they would do if they had a chance to start from scratch- which is a good literary exercise, but maybe not the best novel.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Clean Slate is about a woman who loses her memory of the last five months of her life, and the reader is taken through her journey trying to figure out what happened to cause the loss in her life. It is easy to feel a connection to the main character and feel for what she is going through. It was a quick read for me because I really enjoyed it.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book! I really love Laura Caldwell and her writing. This book really inspired me to take a look at my own life and figure out what i WANT to do instead of what i NEED to do all the time! Maybe someday soon I'll figure it out!

[Talea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. I liked the premise and liked the writing, but the plot was clearly fiction....one of those things where 'oh look! I've just been offered a perfect job! How lovely!'
Not bad at all though, nice easy chick-lit.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was great characters, relationships and story. I think I liked it so much because I could identify with the character. It was pretty much the last year of my life to a T, without one part - which I won't list because it would spoil. Enjoy!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun to read - the memory loss, which could've been so soap opera, was handled in a refreshing and interesting way; the characters were realistic; the story well done. I really enjoyed it.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the plot of this book more than the average chick lit. While it did have some of the trappings of normal chick lit (breakup, make over, trendy apartments), it managed to go a bit deeper at the same time. An easy read and an enjoyable read.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I couldn't put this book down. I was fascinated by the whole theory of not remembering what had happened. I loved the main character though, could really relate to her. The only thing was I kept feeling like I was getting headaches as I was reading (but that is just my hypochondria)

[Charity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better than I anticipated. A woman suffers from memory loss and gets to start over.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book, overall. Not my favorite, but it was a very quick, easy, good read.

[Brin Brin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third favorite of this author...

[Jill Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly different than the usual chick lit -- with fun Chicago references.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a long time ago but still remember liking it. It is a story about a girl that loses her memory and I remember breezing right through it.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick light and predictable. I like her other books better.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super fast read, and entertaining enough for me to choose to read it instead of giving into my current Sudoku addiction!

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Local Chicago author. Pretty interesting story