WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKTHROUGH - Isabel Sharpe
A Perfect 10
Avon Trade
ISBN: 978-0-06-114055-6
February 2007
Women's Fiction

Kettle, Wisconsin - Present Day

Nothing bad ever happens in Kettle. At least that's the general party line in town. A small, quiet place with a quaint town center and a citizenry right out of the nineteen fifties.

Sara Gilchrist is one of the residents of Kettle. She's a perfect wife, a perfect mother, and a perfect gardener. Unfortunately, Sarah's perfect life is about to unravel.

Quiet, shy and unassuming Erin Hall hides a dark secret that would shock the citizens of Kettle down to their toes if it ever came to light.

Lorelei Taylor, nee Vivian Harcourt, is Kettle's newest and most scandalous resident. Having just been found not guilty of murdering her older, wealthy lover, she's been hounded out of New York and is hiding in Kettle under her real name.

None of these women seem to have anything in common. Sarah is the perfect woman, president of the Kettle Society Club and everything that is kind and good. Erin is the quiet one who never has a thing to say, and is always the epitome of modestly and decorum. Then there is Vivian...loud, outlandish and she wouldn't know propriety if it hit her in the face.

Vivian's arrival in Kettle starts a train of events that will change everything all three women thought about themselves, their lives, and the town of Kettle. Dark secrets are revealed, and each woman will have to face her own reflection and determine who she really is and what she wants out of life.

Let me preface my commentary by stating that I'm rarely surprised when I pick up a book to read. Pleased, frustrated, fascinated, yes, but rarely surprised. WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKTHROUGH surprised me. I have read Isabel Sharpe's work previously and enjoyed her writing; however, even knowing I liked the author's work didn't prepare me for the absolute brilliance of WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKTHROUGH. This is a completely character driven novel, so character development is the key to the story. Ms. Sharpe has done an outstanding job with the in-depth characterization and development of the three women, as well as with the secondary players in the story.

The book is told from the perspective of each woman, Sarah, Erin, and Vivian, and yet if flows smoothly, and the layers of each person are gradually revealed. The interaction between the characters is rich in detail, and each interaction reveals something new. I had a hard time deciding what "label" to put on this novel. Women's Fiction seems to fit best because it is a book about women, and any woman who reads it is sure to see a tiny piece of herself in each of the characters. However, it's also a romance in a small way, though romance isn't the focus of the story.

WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF A NERVOUS THROUGH is humorous, painful, uplifting, and tragic -- all at the same time. But ultimately, it's a beautifully told story about three women who have lived and loved and have finally figured out that their happiness or sorrow resides within themselves and is entirely up to them. For a novel that will entertain as well as enrich you, I highly recommend WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKTHROUGH and award it RRT's Perfect 10.

Terrie Figueroa