Around the Next Corner: Elizabeth Wrenn

A hilarious and poignant debut novel about a mother of three who’s suffering from a case of middle age invisibility, a stale marriage, and a soon -to- be empty nest…

Deena Munger is a stay at home mom nearing 50 who wakes up one day and realizes her family doesn’t really need her anymore. She spends her days obsessively cleaning her house, eating, and waiting for her oldest son to call from college to give her an update on what’s going on in his life. Not to mention she’s lost all desire to sleep with her husband and has learned to pretend sleep every time he comes to bed.

Between crying fits and hot flashes, Deena and her family all think she’s losing it. Then she gets the idea of training a puppy as a guide dog for the blind. Getting Heloise, the blond lab puppy, is the beginning of Deena finding herself…and finding her way back to her family again.

I was a little hesitant when I realized the story was so involved with the puppy training, but it was really a heartwarming story and had some very funny moments. Though I haven’t reached this time in my life yet, the story is so well written I felt as if I were experiencing the pain and joy that Deena felt. You just can’t help but care what happens with Deena, her family, and Heloise and you can’t help but cheer her on, hoping everything works out in the end.

I enjoyed reading this book with its unusual subject matter, and it’s very obvious the author did her research on guide dog training, which was surprisingly interesting.
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Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (June 6, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0451218426
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