The Fiction Class

If you're a frustrated writer, this book is for you. All of us think we have a book 'in us' but few do. Reading this book was not only incredibly enjoyable, it really was like taking a fiction class, with pointers at the end of each chapter. The characters were instantly recognizable as living, breathing beings and I could easily see this as a great film. I was sorry when the book ended. I can only hope that Breen writes a sequel based on events at the end of the book. A "must" read!

The Fiction Class is the perfect present from a daughter to her mother. Or from a mother to her daughter. It can be a way to bridge those awkward relationships, or to build on them. A wonderful read that not only looks the mother/child conundrum straight in the eye without blinking, but gives you hope that you can mend yours. And for any writer, a plethora of useful information in the most enjoyable way. Bravo to Susan Breen. Martha Frankel Hats & Eyeglasses: A Family Love Affair with Gambling

Susan Breen's novel The Fiction Class (Plume, 2008) is a book that kept my attention from beginning to end. This book interweaves the challenges of writing and teaching writing with the challenges of life itself. Arabella Hicks, named for the heroine of her mother's favorite romance novel, balances copy editing jobs and weekly visits to her argumentative, hostile mother in a nursing home with teaching fiction writing to a varied adult ed class. Arabella is 38, single, isolated, unsure of herself, and still grieving for her father, who died after many depressing years in a wheelchair as the result of Multiple Schlerosis. Her mother has advanced Parkinson's Disease. A further depressing fact is Arabella's inability to conclude the novel she's been working on for seven years, Courting Disaster. Her Wednesdays form a pattern: teach the class, then visit her mother, Vera Hicks, bringing coveted fast food that may or may not be appreciated. Vera's condition and mood swings are impossible to predict, so Arabella approaches the visits with dread. Like many writing teachers, Arabella seems to rely on her students' written work to get to know them. Ironically, when her talk about the class inspires Vera to write a story of her own, Arabella learns about her mother as well. The newly-awakened Arabella learns, in a sense, to believe in miracles as she finally begins to understand her students and her mother and to open her heart to love. and as that happens, she can begin a new novel. The connections between real life and fiction have always fascinated me. My experiences as a reader, writer, teacher and visitor of my own mother in a nursing home make The Fiction Class ring amazingly true to me. The book also supports my belief in the power of writing for all, something that Arabella and Vera and most of the writing class students seem to discover as well.

A charming & engaging story about a woman struggling to complete a novel & find peace with her dyingThe Fiction Class mother, Vera. The narrator, Arabella Hicks, also teaches a writing class. Writing is the thread that connects all of the characters in this novel. Through writing, Arabella & her students help Vera to complete a story she has written, Arabella develops a more meaningful relationship with her mother, and through writing, Arabella finds love. Susan Breen has written a novel about the possibility of finding the elusive even when it seems impossible. A wonderful story - I wholeheartedly recommend it!

This is the story of a woman still growing up. Arabella struggles with her self-image, her writing aspirations and taking care of her elderly mother. While teaching a writing class, she learns a few lessons herself - about life, love and the written word. Susan Breen has written a beautiful and inspiring story with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. Read it! There are so many layers to this book, you'll find something that touches you or inspires you.