In a Perfect World

Jizelle is a stewardess. Jizelle marries the pilot, Mark. The pilot that all the stewardesses swoom over. Jizelle never thought she would marry and now she's married WITH stepchildren. Yes, Mark has children from a former marriage. Jizelle quits her job, and stays home to take care of the children. Shorty thereafter the end of the world arrives in the form of the Phoenix flu. Just like the recent real life outbreak of Swine Flu only the reprocussions are far greater in this novel. One must suspend disbelief in this one, however for me it was quite easy to do. Life as we know it has stopped for Jizelle and her stepchildren. Her husband, the pilot, is detained due to the outbreak of the Phoenix Flu. Unlike the Swine Flu, the Phoenix flu is far deadlier. This book gives a possible image to an end of the world scenario but also delves into the complexities of step parenting, marriage, and the roles of woman in the world in terms of the choices they can and often do make just to win over the proverbial prince charming. This book gets two thumbs up from me because it did what I expect all good novels to do...Entertained from page 1 to The End. I'm a fan of Laura Kasischke's and there's a reason. She CAN write.

I read this because it was recommended to me at the bookstore and am so glad I did. I loved the way the book evolved from a romance- flight attendant marries pilot- to something deep and prophetic. My only complaint is that the story ended too soon for me. I am hoping for a sequel.

the book arrived in a very timley mannor and in really good condition. no problems with anything

Jizelle, a stewardess, is thrilled when she marries pilot Mark Dorn after a whirlwind romance. She's not thinking quite rationally, but then again she's 37 and had all but given up on marriage -- and the world has been falling apart for quite some time. The weather's unusually hot (110 in Chicago), and they're running out of oil and there's this mysterious disease, the Phoenix Flu, that's been scaring people for awhile. Airline passengers are getting hostile, and the whole world is blaming America for the disease, which makes international travel a bit scary. Jiselle's happy to settle down in a beautiful house and play stay at home mom to Mark's three kids who lost their mom in a tragic accident a few years previously. But then Mark finds himself held overseas when the Germans quarantine his plane, and Jizelle can barely communicate with him as the power goes out, and food deliveries cease, and the rioting begins. And here she is, trapped in the chicago suburbs with three kids who are dependent on her for their survival -- but who hate her. Jizelle grows up fast -- and somehow blossoms into a confident, strong woman who can handle anything and she forges a bond with the kids as they become a little pioneer family. She finds that she's actually incredibly generous and not nearly as shallow as she had imagined. The book drew me in because it was so believable -- the way that even in the middle of a major health crisis and quite possibly the end of the world, you'd be worried about a mean comment that someone made, and you'd wonder if your marriage would be strong enough to withstand the pressures. It was also nice to read a post-apocalyptic novel that wasn't overtly feminist or political, but which still told the story from a woman's viewpoint. Five stars.

The end of the world as we know it begins with the death of Britney Spears. Jiselle and her three step children survive for months through a torrent of apocalyptic changes. The beauty of this novel comes from the transformation of Jiselle, a college-dropout/flight attendant who must learn to lead her new, unstable family through the growing dangers. These characters are so believable that you already know them, and come to love them by the story's end. Readers of "The Road" and "The Pesthouse" will find Kasischke's apocalyptic tale to be more relevant to our times and more emotionally satisfying. I recommend curling up with a cup of tea and spending time "In a Perfect World!"