Plain Jane

the long version

Meet Plain Jane Singer, "an updated female Holden Caulfield from Cleveland," who tells the story of a family and change, in a remarkable novel that has already been praised as "poignant," "delightful," "irresistible." Whether the topic is siblings, sex, shrinks, or sniping in the Singer family, Jane Singer isn't afraid to speak up, and to confront the tough questions. Such as: Why is her promiscuous sister, Caroline, suddenly abandoning her bohemian ways to marry an. Orthodox Jewish doctor? Why doesn't her mother stand up for herself when her husband criticizes her cooking, her judgment, her weight? Why does Jane's younger brother, Willy, lie all the time - and do it so badly? Jane has some questions about herself, too. Such as: Why is she engaged to a systems analyst she doesn't love? Why, after graduating from high school at the top of her class, does she take a secretarial job down the hall from her former psychiatrist? Why, when. Everything else about her family is changing, is she fighting so hard to remain in a place she doesn't even like very much? Frank, funny, full of surprise, truth, and the pain and turmoil of growing up, the novel that Eve Horowitz has created is destined to be remembered by readers for years to come. As Plain Jane takes us into her confidence, her home, and her heart, what we discover is moving, challenging, true - and always superbly entertaining.