The Wonder Spot - Softcover

Bank, Melissa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143037218 ISBN 13: 9780143037217

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2006

Synopsis

Melissa Bank's runaway bestseller, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, charmed readers and critics alike with its wickedly insightful, tender look at a young woman's forays into love, work, and friendship. Now, with The Wonder Spot, Bank is back with her signature combination of devilishly self-deprecating humor, seriousness and wisdom.

Nothing comes easily to Sophie Applebaum, the black sheep of her family trying to blend in with the herd. Uneasily situated between two brothers, Sophie first appears as the fulcrum and observer of her clan in "Boss of the World." Then, at college, in "The Toy Bar," she faces a gauntlet of challenges as Best Friend to the dramatic and beautiful Venice Lambourne, curator of "perfect things." In her early twenties, Sophie is dazzled by the possibilities of New York City during the Selectric typewriter era--only to land solidly back in Surrey, PA after her father's death.

The Wonder Spot follows Sophie's quest for her own identity--who she is, what she loves, whom she loves, and occasionally whom she feels others should love--over the course of 25 years. In an often-disappointing world, Sophie listens closely to her own heart. And when she experiences her 'Aha!' moments--her own personal wonder spots--it's the real thing. In this tremendous follow-up to The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing, Bank again shares her vast talent for capturing a moment, taking it to heart, and giving it back to her readers.

About this title

Review:

"Prodigiously talented, mordantly wry and wise, Bank offers... irresistible reading." --San Francisco Chronicle

"A five-course meal: loaded with pleasure." --Los Angeles Times

"Bank possesses a prodigious talent for snappy one-liners, and her self-deprecating anecdotes belie intelligence and sophistication." --The Washington Post

"Bittersweet, tremendously winning... enthralling and engaging." --Entertainment Weekly

From the Back Cover:

'A lovely, funny, melancholy stroll through twenty years of a woman's life and when I'd finished it, I wished I was getting more' Zadie Smith

'Endearingly upbeat and witty...reads like Jane Austen rescripted as Dorothy Parker' Daily Telegraph

'Brilliant observation, a glorious turn of phrase...Bank achieves something close to perfection' Guardian

'The kind of girl you'd want to have as your best friend...so brilliantly written you'll want to ration it out, so you never reach the end' Marie Claire

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0143037218
• ISBN 13: 9780143037217
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336