Talk Gertie to Me

I passed this book by over and over before finally giving it a chance. The book jacket summary made it sound very strange to me, but don't worry- its not! It a very cute and fun read. The secondary plot regarding the mother is great too! Give it a try! You won't be disappointed!

Talk Gertie to Me is an artfully crafted book with humorous characters that are not cartoony but all too human--all but Gertie, that is. Lois Winston has combined the stories of a young, semi-successful woman and her yearning-to-be somebody menopausal mother in an intricate tale that leads both women down some very rocky paths. Nori Stedworth loses her job and security and privacy in one maddening day. Her mother, long suffering but talented in ways few people could possibly be, ventures from the safe anonymity of Iowa to the whirlwind life of a NYC entrepreneur. Nori doesn't know what caused her mother to leave her father. Her mother thinks running away will resolve her marital problems and her meddling will eventually bring Nori a happy marriage with the home-town mortician. Only Gertie, Nori's imaginary friend resurrected from her youth, can help bring about happiness for both women in this mad-cap, coming of age, honestly romantic free-for-all book. This is a must read delight. A. Fontaine

The cover caught my eye not just because it was pink, but because of the great title. What was inside the cover didn't disappoint. The story has a mix of a things including Gertie, an imaginary childhood friend who returns to help Nora through her crises. Add a menopausal mom, a handsome man and unexpected success and this book doesn't stop making you chuckle. The witty dialogue and different story line are sure to grab you until the very end and leave you with a smile.

What a great read. Loaded with fun, wit, wonderful characters and lots of action. Unlike the last book I finished before reading this, I was satisfied with the ending and had no lingering questions about the characters and their futures. Well written, captured my interest, going to pass the book on to my mom.

Honora "Nori" Stedworth thought she had it all. She lived in a garden level apartment in Manhattan, has a rich dermatologist boyfriend, and a good job at a dot-com. Then, in the space of only a few hours, Nori finds her boyfriend cavorting in the Jacuzzi with her supposedly best friend, she gets laid off from work, and her mother flies in for an indefinite visit. To cope, Nori does what she did when she had been little; she has a conversation with her imaginary friend named Gertie. Gertie is Nori's sarcastic side with some pretty snappy come-backs. Sounds harmless, right? Enter Mackenzie "Mac" Randolph. Mac is the station manager for WBAT radio. WBAT is the Big Apple's talk radio, which focuses totally on men and sports. Due to a computer mix-up, Mac and Nori end up taking the radio station by storm. Nori is now the hottest thing on radio with her talk show "Gertie Gets Even". As Gertie, Nori tells men exactly what about them annoys women. And the ratings soar. But Nori is not the only one in the family getting famous. Constance "Connie" Stedworth is tired of living in the shadow of her husband. Her husband, Earnest, is the mayor of their home town called Ten Commandments, Iowa. Earnest refuses to leave the 1950s and runs the town and his family the same way. Connie leaves Ten Commandments for various reasons and her entrepreneurial side comes out. Connie becomes famous as the "Belly Button Artist to the Stars." But by following their dreams will Connie lose her husband and will Nori become the family's black sheep? ***** Absolutely hilarious! At one point of the book I tried to read the story out loud, with different voices for each character. But I could not keep a straight face and I kept snickering. This novel is like two stories in one. Nori and Connie take turns telling what is going on in their lives. Oh, and the secondary characters are just as colorful as the main ones! After all, the setting IS in New York, where colorful characters abound and anything can happen (and usually does with frequency). I am hopeful that Reese may get her own story told one day. Author Lois Winston deserves a standing ovation for this gem! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.