A New Lu

Written with wit and wisdom, "A New Lu" makes a grand entrance into the Chick Lit genre with a cast of delightful, well-developed characters and laugh out loud humor. Shortly before her fiftieth birthday Lu thinks the only difficulty in her life will be adjusting to being divorced, she never dreams she will have to do that while carrying an 'oops' child. Lu's new boss at "Five-O" magazine has just suggested that Lu do a complete makeover and chronicle it in her monthly column to show readers that you don't have to look fifty even if you are. Lu can't believe it. The vision at "Five-O" has always been about accepting the aging process. She reminds her boss of what Gloria Steinem once said, "This is what fifty looks like." The insight that the reader gets about this acceptance of who and what we are is an added bonus to a great story. When Lu decides to have the baby, her soon-to-be-married daughter is horrified. What will people think? Her ex-husband can't even say the word 'baby.' The pregnancy news is met with disbelief at work until the boss gets a new idea. Lu can chronicle her late-life pregnancy for the readers of "Five-O." "I want all the juicy details. Every awful twitch. You're prepared to do that?" Because she needs her job so desperately, Lu agrees. As the baby grows within her, Lu also grows and changes and realizes many things about herself, past relationships, and new relationships. She also makes what appears to be bizarre choices, but as Lu puts it "...if you want rational, don't go to a pregnant woman." For readers who have enjoyed "Loose Screws" by Karen Templeton and "Inappropriate Men" by Stacey Ballis, "A New Lu" should join those novels on their bookshelves.

In Upper Montclair, New Jersey, Lu Nichols works part-time at Five-O magazine for the mature woman. She and her long time husband Jacob recently divorced, but not before one for the road. Their firstborn Dallas is driving Lu crazy with her marriage plans. Her new boss Tai Leigh is sarcastically sweet most of the time and condescending when she fakes being nice. As Tai decides that the almost fifty Lu needs a makeover that the magazine will exploit, the victim feels nauseous but assumes bad oysters is the cause. However, her gorgeous doctor proves otherwise as that last fling with Jacob has left Lu pregnant. Her ex hides; her oldest is mortified; her boss wants Lu to provide a series of articles on the pregnant mature woman. Though all this Lu keeps on ticking and growing. This chick lit turns fifty tale will give readers a pregnant pause that is everyone except the optimistic Lu who keeps her sanity through humorous asides mostly to herself (and the audience). The story line is fun to follow because Lu pulls off the role of mature chickster. However, her aplomb also leaves the relational "tensions" with her daughter and former husband over the unborn look limpid. Sub-genre fans will laugh with Lu, a pregnant fifty years old stand up comedic Pollyanna. Harriet Klausner