The Book: Patry Francis, THE LIAR'S DIARY. Plume trade paperback reprint, 2008 (as new).
First read: 2008 (still reading)
Owned since: 2008
Today's entry is part of a blogosphere-wide effort to support the paperback launch of Patry Francis's first novel, THE LIAR'S DIARY. Patry can't promote it herself because she's undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of cancer. She's blogging about that experience here, in posts so generous and lovely they make me humble.
We get dozens, maybe even hundreds of opportunities to help people every day, and we miss most of them because we're just not paying attention. When Laura Benedict, who was part of Killer Year with Patry, put out the call for bloggers to promote this book, I was glad to be asked. This morning I drove to Barnes & Noble to buy this book for Patry, because it was something I knew I could do that might help somebody else just a little, even if I never get a chance to meet her in person.
I started reading the book in the parking lot, which was a mistake. I'm 25 pages into it and I can't put it down; it reminds me a little of Zoe Heller's Notes on a Scandal, as it's about an intimate friendship between two very unlikely women. Jeanne Cross is a 30-something school secretary; Ali Mather is the glamorous and slightly scandalous new music teacher. Both have secrets, which intersect with violence.
Go buy your own copy of The Liar's Diary today, and when you finish reading it, come back and we'll discuss it. And please join me in sending best wishes to Patry for strength, comfort, and many more writing days ahead.
2 comments:
Is it okay if we buy in on Amazon or should we be supporting our local indies, or our local chains?
Tom
It's always nice to support your local independents, but actually, if you buy directly from the Penguin website, they'll give you a 15% discount -- just enter the code word PATRY when you're checking out. Thanks!
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