Marie Ferrarella Starting From Scratch

Starting From Scratch

Marie Ferrarella

Harlequin Next, Nov 2005, $5.50

ISBN: 0373880677

Randolph & Sons forty-six years old editor Elisha Jane Reed enjoys working at the prestigious publishing house though her personal life is going nowhere. She rationalizes that she has all she needs with her widowed brother and his two daughters fifteen years old Andrea and ten years old Beth who live near her. Her current gala is the release of what is expected to be a blockbuster written by Ex SEAL Ryan Sutherland.

However, as she throws herself 24/7 to insure her new author succeeds, tragedy strikes when her beloved brother Henry informs her he has pancreatic cancer. Stunned Elisha has no time to cry as she now must remain optimistic though the disease is fast and fatal if not for her, than for Henry and her nieces. Her philosophy of dealing with problems fail miserably as it does trying to coax Ryan to behave like a proper best selling writer should. So what does a stressed out editor do, simply throw out the rule book and STARTING FROM SCRATCH and dive head first into a sweet tooth delight.

The story line takes its time to introduce the audience to the prime players, but once readers learn Henry has cancer, the tale becomes a deep character study focusing on coping when your life is turned upside down; instead of looking up at the next rung, you try not to fall any lower as the ooze beneath the ladder is in your vision. Ryan abetted by Henry and his children bring out the worse in a beleaguered, bewildered, and beheaded Elisha who feels she must have played football without a helmet as she poorly adjusts, in spite of her caring efforts, to a shift in reality.

Harriet Klausner