Laura Zigman Piece of Work

Piece of Work

Laura Zigman

Warner, Sept 2006, $23.99

ISBN 044657838X

Thirty-six year old Julia Einstein enjoys being a Connecticut stay at home mother rather than being part of the Manhattan public relations rat race scene that she did before she gave birth. That changes when her spouse Peter loses his job; Julia is forced to find work in her expertise.

The John Glom Public Relations form hires Julia. Her client is a desperate has-been like all those who employ John Glom. However, as actress Mary Ford finds her fame rapidly abating to where she is a notch above an obscure trivia question, she correspondently abuses those hired to help her especially her public relations specialist. The PR crowd at John Glom understands that the Mary's of the world pay to bring others down with them especially those they employ. Though she loathes the customer Julia tries finding a solution to turn around Mary's rapidly vanishing name.

Though readers know early on how successful Julia will be with Mary, the key to this amusing and acerbic satire is Ford. Whereas the lead focus is Julia as she adjusts to returning to the workplace, she, her spouse, and her PR peers are sympathetic characters. Mary, on the other hand, is a nasty PIECE OF WORK who is at her best is frosty and aloof and at her worst is hostile and cruel; yet beneath her surface repugnance of everyone, vulnerability often surfaces. Thus she keeps the tale from exorbitant sweetening and ultra excessive cuteness, as there is a bit too much of both already. Julia to the rescue is a humorous entertaining tale.

Harriet Klausner