- Hardcover
- Publisher: Harpercollins; First Edition edition (July 1988)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060159790
- ISBN-13: 978-0060159795
- Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.5 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,460,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
"Laced with heartbreak, drama and thrills...Marvelously readable."
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
It's 1940 and Linda Voss, secretary extraordinaire, has a secret: she's in love with her boss, John Berringer, the pride of the Ivy Leage. Not that he'd take a second look at her, a German-Jewish girl from Queens who spends her time caring for her faded beauty of a mother, and following the news of the war that is engulfing Europe.
How Linda wins and loses her man, puts her life on the line for her beliefs, and finally gets the man she deserved all along is the story that only Susan Isaacs, author of the accalimed bestseller MAGIC HOUR, can tell.
From the Paperback edition.
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
It's 1940 and Linda Voss, secretary extraordinaire, has a secret: she's in love with her boss, John Berringer, the pride of the Ivy Leage. Not that he'd take a second look at her, a German-Jewish girl from Queens who spends her time caring for her faded beauty of a mother, and following the news of the war that is engulfing Europe.
How Linda wins and loses her man, puts her life on the line for her beliefs, and finally gets the man she deserved all along is the story that only Susan Isaacs, author of the accalimed bestseller MAGIC HOUR, can tell.
From the Paperback edition.
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First Sentence
In 1940, when I was thirty-one and an old maid, while the whole word waited for war, I fell in love with John Berringer. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
In 1940, when I was thirty-one and an old maid, while the whole word waited for war, I fell in love with John Berringer. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Despite being American, Susan Isaacs is my all-time favourite writer, and this book helps illustrate why. For sheer imagination, it's difficult to beat this story of a Jewish girl escaping from an unhappy marriage into wartime Europe. The denouement doesn't exactly come as a surprise, but by then you're so wrapped up in the story that it doesn't matter. If anyone has seen the film, with Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith, supposedly "based on" this book, don't be put off by it. The real story is completely different.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
35 reviews
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
I keep coming back to this book!
3 Feb 2004
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I have attempted some other Susan Isaacs books and was disappointed, so it may be surprising that this book has a constant place on my "frequently read" bookshelf. Rather than discuss the plotline (I think the editorial review does that succinctly enough), let me try to convey to you the experience of actually reading the book.
The singlemost outstanding feature of this book is the screaming reality with which Isaacs develops characters. One reviewer was apparently upset that the narrator felt too little sympathy for the Germans (and described her boss, rather than "showing" what he was like). These details actually contribute greatly to my love of the book, as the editorializing narrator (Linda Voss) demonstrates her own personality through the way in which she communicates. She only describes her boss as "perfect"? Exactly--she's blinded by her feelings. Not sympathetic towards the Germans? Of course not--the character is an extremely cynical, stubborn woman who is working for the U.S. Government during the war. Perhaps, then, the best feature of the narration is the consistency which Isaacs employs; assuming that you are able to recognize literary tricks, you should have no problem differentiating between Linda's views and the facts of her world.
As for the plot itself, despite frequent rereading, this book keeps me spellbound from the first chapter until the last. At times, the plot twists are truly surprising; other times, the story is unsurprising but told saucily enough to hold my interest all the way through. As aforementioned, the narrator is such a compelling character that one gets the feeling of just listening to her chatter her way through the pages. I enjoy this book in one straight read; it helps maintain the feeling of Linda Voss, storyteller (as opposed to Susan Isaacs, author).
In short, then:
1. Linda Voss is THE most compelling narrator/character I have ever read.
2. The writing is consistent and precise.
3. The plot is interesting enough to be worthy of the gorgeous characterization.
Enjoy!
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
My all time favorite! And I'm pretty picky too!
26 May 2000
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Okay, I have to be very careful here. You see, I have to be if I want to do this work justice. I cannot emphasize enough what a great novel this is and what a truly, wonderful writer Susan Isaacs is. Her eye for detail (written so funnily) and her ear for dialogue (just flows off the page) cannot be surpassed. You know what, instead of lauding my praises I'll write a quick excerpt from the novel to persuade you. It's from very first lines of the novel. If it doesn't persuade you, I don't know what will. Here it is: START
In 1941, when I was thirty-one and an old maid, while the whole world waited for war, I fell in love with John Berringer.
An office crush. Big deal. Since the invention of the steno pad, a day hasn't gone by without some secretary glancing up from her Pitman squiggles and suddenly realizing that the man who was mumbling "...and therefore, pursuant to the above..." was the one man in her life who could ever bring her joy.
So there I was, a cliche with a number 2 yellow pencil: a working firl from Queens who'd lost her heart to the pride of the Ivy League. END
Isaac's hooks you in and never lets you go. The main character, Linda Voss, is a wonder. She is a heroine unlike any other. She is and always will be wonderfully funny, sometimes mocking, but never boring. All of Isaac's characters are soo human; they are never perfect; they all have flaws. You may not like some of them, but all of them are understandable.
I shall forever be grateful to Isaacs for writing this masterpiece. So, please, please, I cannot stress this enough, please go borrow, buy, or steal this book and try it out. You'll fall in love with it. I know I did.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
As an English professional, I highly recommend this book.
6 April 1999
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The parallels, the characterization, the foreshadowing, the dynamic evolving characters... this is an excellent example of modern American fiction at its highest level. Our protagonist, Linda Voss, is a real woman recognizably full of her own illusions and strengths, gets involved in the catalyst of WWII, thereby learning what really matters to her as a woman, an American, and a Jew. Miss Isaacs is able, with her impressive understanding of WWIIand humanity in general (which asks the questions Who am I? What do I really want? Why is this happening to me? How can I survive? How can I emerge victorious?), to paint the human condition against a background of war that is didactic while at the same time entirely recognizable. A critical yet loyal Isaacs fan, I believe this book is my supreme favorite of all her work, and I also believe it's my favorite book, period.
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