The Book of Jane

I enjoy "chick-lit" that is light, fun and entertaining. And if the aforementioned novel has an uplifting message to boot... well, that makes it perfect. The Book of Jane is a modern-day look into the Bible's book of Job, and the novel enthralled me, touched me, made me smile and at times laugh out loud all at the same time. Twenty-eight-year-old New Yorker Jane Williams has it all. She has a chic apartment in the Village, a fabulous PR job, a great boyfriend, wonderful friends and an awesome hobby as a leader of the Girl Scouts. She is also a devoted Christian. But it's easy to be a Christian when one's life is going well. Will Jane's faith falter if she were to suddenly lose it all? Well, she's about to find out. Jane goes through a tough road to self-discovery, and with an arrogant and coaxing jerk like Coates Glassman to test her, the road gets even bumpier. I LOVED reading this! Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt know how to fuse an inspirational, Christian message with a fun and sassy voice without being preachy or judgmental. Most people are under the impression that Christians are a strict, joyless bunch. A novel like this proves them wrong. Jane is a great character. She is sweet and grounded. Her flaws and cries for help humanize her. She is a character that all women could relate to. The secondary characters are wonderful as well. I loved Lee, Jane's next door neighbor and best friend. I thought Matt, the movie star, was a tad stereotyped, but that was the one of the very few flaws in this book. The novel starts out a little slow, but it soon becomes impossible to put down. Yes, The Book of Jane is a modern take of Job and how God tested him, and the results are wonderful. Dayton and Vanderbilt are authors whose work I'll look closely from now on. In the meantime, I highly recommend this gem.

Jane had it all. Great job, wonderful boyfriend, good apartment. Everything was going well for her. But then it all comes crashing down. Her boyfriend dumps her. She loses her job. Her apartment gets halfway destroyed. Rumors are spread about her. And she has this weird rash on her face that won't go away. It's enough to make anyway jump off the deep end. But thanks to her faith in God and a cute guy who seems to pop up at the right moments, Jane learns how to get through it all. Christian chick lit just keeps getting better and better these days. It's great to read about stories about young women who are Christians with strong faith yet still like to shop for shoes and hunt for guys. Dayton and Vanderbilt's characters live like real people do without being all high and mighty or overly trying to witness to others. They show their faith by their actions, not trying to convert everyone they see. This book was tons of fun to read. Jane is a great character, very multi dimensional and easy to relate to. I felt for Jane especially during the scene where she tries to call her friend for help. Curse words would have uttered out of me at that point. I love the scenes in the hotel. I felt happy that something finally good was going for her. The storyline is a chick lit parable of the book of Job, but luckily Jane doesn't have it half as bad as he did (although the rash on her face would cause her to think she did). She handled things better than I would have in her situation. I would have been faced with the urge to throw something at the perpetrator of all the rumors about her. And her boyfriend: ARGGGHH! I have no complaints at all about this book. I couldn't stop reading it and now I want everyone else to. A funny hip read with a strong message about faith and belief in God. This is a book I could pass along to others even those who don't normally read Christian fiction. Highly recommended for a good time.

I have no idea who Job is, but the book was great regardless. I didn't find Christianity in this book to be overwhelming at all - it was just a really fun and quick read, filled with humor and romance and all the wonderful chick-lit elements. I especially liked the character of Coates - where can I find a guy like that?? The dreadful things that happen to Jane seemed a bit .. overmuch... at times - I felt like `enough already with her hardships,' but it was nice to see her overcome the obstacles. Great read, very modern and fun, and will definitely warm your romantic heart.

Chick lit based on the Old Testament character Job? Who comes up with an idea like this? The answer is writing partners and cool chicks Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt. The Book of Jane is the duo's third outing into the world of "Good Girl Lit", a squeaky clean take on the popular women's genre. The thing is, it works. I've been known to pick up a chick lit book from time to time, guiltily turning a blind eye to the "adult themes" that run so rampant in these tomes. But I'd much rather just read good, clean, fun fiction. This is where Dayton and Vanderbilt come in. The Book of Jane is a great book about a young woman named Jane Williams who seems to have the world by the tail. She has the perfect career, the perfect Manhattan apartment, and the perfect boyfriend. She's also a faith-filled person who wears her values on her sleeve. But the thing is, Jane's faith has never truly been tested. Sure, it's easy to profess a profound belief when everything is going according to her perfectly scheduled agenda for life. But will the same hold true when the wheels start to fall off the cart? Who among us hasn't faced this same dilemma? It's easy to say we are believers when life is smooth sailing, but when the going gets tough we may begin to question whether or not our loving God is paying attention to our prayers. The Book of Jane is a page turner from start to finish. With a non-denominational approach to religion, the book will appeal to women of any faith background. I loved the book's message about searching for what you truly want in life - it turns out that sometimes what seems "perfect" on the surface is not really what's best after all. Finding the strength to emerge through life's myriad challenges seems easier if you have a solid relationship with God to help you through. Sometimes you have to step away from what may be considered the safest path in order to find satisfaction in this life. So often, the greatest happiness comes in being of service to others.

Chick-lit at its best! The Book of Jane is a terrific read. You won't want to put it down. It's funny, witty, and yes tender. We've all had times in our lives like Jane's. Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt have delivered yet another super book! Thanks girls.