Playing House

Rating:
Summary: A Playful Novel!
Review: Frannie Mackenzie was living the ultimate single-girl life: cocktail parties, late nights out in NYC, a chic job at a magazine, and dates with a guy named Calvin. That is, until she got sick all over the sweater section of a clothing store and obtained weird food cravings. And then there was the complete proof: the pregnancy test came back positive. Life, as she knew it, was about to change drastically. When Calvin, an experimental jazz musician, goes off to Europe on tour, Frannie takes a trip back to her hometown of Toronto, Canada, for a doctor's check-up and visit with her parents. When it is found her work papers have not been updated, Frannie becomes stuck in Canada indefinitely. When Frannie's brother and sister-in-law decide to leave the country, they offer Frannie the opportunity to move in to their home for the purpose of "house-sitting." It is then when Frannie tells Calvin about the pregnancy, who promptly moves in with her. Together, Frannie and Calvin endure setting up a home, the ups and downs (literally) of pregnancy, the birth of their son, and all the sleepless nights afterward. When Frannie's brother kicks them out of his house, the two take their son on a quest across Canada to live with Calvin's family. Along the way, Frannie learns a multitude of things about herself, her son, Calvin, life in general, and realizes that she has lost nothing, but instead has gained more than she ever could have imagined.

This was a very light-hearted, fun, hilarious novel to read. Being an unmarried (but who is still with the father) mother of a two-year-old, there were many aspects of this story to which I could relate, and many times I roared out loud with laughter in recognition over certain situations in Frannie's life. Frannie and Calvin are two richly-developed characters who go through tremendous growth over the course of the book. The story itself flowed smoothly most of the time, making it hard for me to put down. However, there were times when the story took some aimless turns, especially towards the end, when Frannie and Calvin have to leave her brother's house and move across Canada to Calvin's parent's place. In addition, a couple of chapters (such as when Frannie meets an older man who contributes articles to the magazine) do not contribute much to the storyline. Author Pearson also fails at times to introduce characters properly, such as Calvin's mother (she went from being referred to as "Calvin's mother" to "Beatrice" very abruptly, which was a little confusing). However, this is a great effort by Pearson, whose sense of humor and unique writing style puts a spin on the typical "chick-lit" formula. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to future work from Pearson.

Rating:
Summary: Funny and romantic!!
Review: I enjoyed reading Playing House, I picked it up mainly because the title of the book seemed of interest to me. In it, I laughed and sympathized with the characters as the events in it could very well happen to any of us. Easy reading and fun!!

Rating:
Summary: a staggering work of heartbreaking genius.
Review: Okay, I'm the author. But, as a polite rebuttal to the customer review below, allow me to provide the following review quotes:

"A deft new comic novel by Canadian author Patricia Pearson. Frannie seems to be wedged in the literary crawl space between Bridget Jones (single woman, bad habits, looking for love) and Kate Reddy (married, harried working mother of two in the smash British novel I Don't Know How She Does It)."
Maclean's

"Hilarious. Pearson is an award-winning journalist and crime writer, as well as a master of hyperbole and comic characterizations. She writes with such snap and spirit, you can keep friends and family in stitches reading sections aloud. You see, Frannie MacKenzie, a quasi-autobiographical creation-as a woman and even as a new mother-is the antithesis of super. And you love her, and Pearson, all the more for it. . . . Pearson's sophisticated storytelling is not only satirical but side-splitting. Definitely a movie I'd love to see."
Toronto Sun

"Playing House scores twice; it tickles the funny bone and hits a nerve about our introspective modern life. Told in Frannie's self-deprecating voice, Patricia Pearson's Playing House is a witty, laugh-out-loud account of, well, angst at the entanglement of commitments that come with an `Impending Infant' and with the arrival itself."
The Globe and Mail

"This premise, despite its serious nature, provides lots of laughs and poignancy in the hands of an author who's obviously very experienced with babies. . . . Throughout the fast-paced fiction, the characters adapt to their sudden, surprise self-imposed family life in a realistic way. However, the plot never loses its sense of humour, even during the more dramatic moments."
Winnipeg Free Press

"Playing House plays the perils of parenthood like a Canuck road movie. It's a trip."
The Toronto Star

Still not satisfied? Watch the Playing House trailer! Click on the Barbie pic at www. pearsonspost.com

Rating:
Summary: I laughed so hard I nearly peed in my pants
Review: Patricia Pearson has possibly the best sense of humor of any writer I know of. A former writer of op/ed columns for the National Post, she is well known for her straight-forward and humorous approach to any subject imaginable. Her latest book, Playing House, is no different and certainly no disappointment. It is hillarious and fascinating. In all the trials that main character Frannie must get through, she approaches them in a matter-of-fact, 'aw crap' style that never takes itself too seriously, or too ridiculously. The story flows along easily and makes for a book that is hard to put down.

My wife was shocked to see me reading a book with a pink cover and 'Avon books' written on it. I usually read books about politics and law, but I thought 'Playing House' was great. It is the most entertaining book that I have read in a long time. I hope someone makes this into a movie.

Rating:
Summary: A new voice in Urban Lit to keep an eye out for!
Review: Patricia Pearson's "Playing House" was such a treat. I was getting bored with the same old formula that seems to possess chick lit writers. This book reinvigorated by love of the genre. Nothing in this book takes itself too seriously.

Our friend, Frannie, is living the single life in NYC. She has recently hooked up with an experimental jazz musician. They are keeping things casual. Her work at a magazine is paying the bills (barely). Calvin takes off for a tour in Europe when Frannie puts two and two together and figures out she is pregnant. Her first reaction is to head back home, to Canada, to see a doctor and her family. Once there, she pulls herself up by her bootstraps and heads back to the big apple to prepare for the new addition. While on her trip home, she finds that her work visa has expired and she is stuck in Canada. Luckily, her yuppie brother and sister-in-law are leaving the country and she can housesit in their posh pad.

How to tell Calvin is another issue. Frannie breaks the news and he shows up. Calvin is sort of an Ethan Hawke kind of guy. (A little different, into obscure things, grungy and oh so cute.) Calvin is a typical artsy, poor, and unique guy. Sure he's frustrating at times but he basically wants to do the right thing.

There were many points where I just laughed and felt like Frannie could be one of my friends. Ms. Pearson's cleverly written story weaves a magical reality around this couple. It's more realistic than fantasy and funnier than fiction in its accuracy. I'm keeping an eye out for more stories from Ms. Pearson.

Rating:
Summary: Funny, funny, and did I mention Funny?
Review: Some of the romance novel reviewers didn't know what to make of this book. It has a pinkish cover and so I suppose they thought it must be a book about youthful lust and passion complete with fields of daisies and what not. Well, just because something is pink doesn't mean it can't be funny. (...), but let me tell you, it can be quite hillarious at the appropriate time. I let my wife read this book after I had finished. She picked it up and did not put it down or sleep until she had finished it. She even read the funniest parts of it to me, as if I hadn't just finished reading them to her several days before. This book is funny. I didn't realize that Canadians could be funny, what with Martin Short being my only exposure to those odd people up there. I loved this book. So did my wife. We should get 2 reviews for that. And if we did, they'd both say "this is a great book and it made us laugh a lot." I'm going to send a copy to my mom for Mother's Day. I can't wait to see her reaction to the part where Frannie pukes in The Gap.

Rating:
Summary: bad trip
Review: This book was a light, fun read. I enjoyed the characters and the story. The characters made the best of an unexpected situation and I enjoyed how they got through it. Very enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Funny, funny, and did I mention Funny?
Review: Wry and witty and full of keen observations about the latest trends affecting new parents. I laughed from the beginning and was still laughing when I closed it at the last page.