Caren Johnson Literary Agency

It is also comical to me how much time I spend reading non-work related books only to be energized so much by them that I turn back to my to do list with more energy than ever. I’m talking about the book that I just finished—The Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney. Yesterday afternoon I thought I’d give myself a treat. I decided to read a book just for the fun of it. Now, 32 hours later (subtract about 8 hours for sleep, 6 hours for time spent with friends yesterday and 4 hours visiting family today and you’ll see that I didn’t completely ignore everything around me as I read) I’m finished and eager than ever to get back to reading my own authors’ material. This isn’t because it is a bad book. It is really wonderful with vivid characters and a great plot. Now I want to apply everything I’ve learned from this well written book. Each character is distinctive even though they are a family of five sisters. There is an extended amount of time spent on the past. My first instict would be to tell the author that this is all backstory and the reader doesn’t need to know it. Here, though, it fits the story and makes it a wonderful family saga that spans decades. The reader should know the history. It invests them more in getting to that final page. And the end doesn’t disappoint. I won’t spill the beans but it was a very satisfying and fitting ending. The only reason I haven’t called up the editor is because it is the weekend. I’m doing the next best thing. I’m working.