Deep Down True

November 22, 2010
Familiar material—a newly divorced woman navigating the choppy waters of single parenthood—gets sensitive treatment in this subtle novel by the author of Shelter Me. Connecticut homemaker Dana Stellgarten tends to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, even her philandering ex-husband, but she's having a tough time staying nice as she deals with the discovery of her preteen daughter's bulimia, her seven-year-old son's acting out, a friend's betrayal, and her teenage niece's emotional crash landing at her house. Nevertheless, Dana reaches out to the family of a terminally ill doctor, deals with a bull-in-a-china-shop suitor, and even finds love in an unexpected place. Fay deals honestly with Dana's emotional journey as she strives "to understand how what had been true before had changed into what was true now" and gives readers a believable cast, from the daughter struggling with the wolf-pack mentality of middle school to Dana's sometimes obnoxious yet fiercely loving sister. It expertly walks a heavily trodden path.

December 1, 2010

Dana Stellgarten was on top of her suburban game when her husband pulled the rug out from under her, and now the 45-year-old Connecticut mom can't handle one more thing. Then, her seven-year-old son, Grady, is suddenly moody and belligerent with his friends; the dentist tells Dana that her 12-year-old daughter, Morgan, shows signs of purging; and ex-husband Kenneth backs off on his financial contributions, forcing Dana to accept a temporary part-time job at the dentist's office. When Dana's teenage niece arrives on her doorstep, needing a break from Dana's sister and a change of scene, even romantic overtures from Grady's football coach and an invitation of friendship from a stylish neighbor may not be enough to get Dana back on solid ground. VERDICT Fay (Shelter Me) imbues Dana with the smarts and insecurities that war within most of us. With her comfort zone obliterated, Dana draws on her inner strengths to reconstruct a new foundation for her children in a world where she gets to be the alpha wolf. Highly recommended for fans of women's fiction featuring resilient heroines. [Eight-city tour; reading group guide.]--Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2011
Its been more than a year since Dana Stellgartens divorce, and things are getting tough. Her 7-year-old, Grady, is struggling with the absence of his father and becoming moody and morose. She discovers that her 12-year-old, Morgan, is bulimic and succumbing to pressure from her popular friends. Her 16-year-old niece, Alder, literally crashes into their lives and begs Dana to take her in for several months. Alder no longer seems to be the happy, well-rounded girl she used to be. To top it all off, Danas well-to-do ex-husband is suddenly struggling with his child-care payments. This is a wonderful tale of family and growing up, whether as a child, a teenager, or a middle-aged mother. Dana gains unlikely friends at her dentists office, loses longtime allies, and even begins to date again. Dana, who is at times nice to a fault, learns that single motherhood requires both love and a sharp edge of responsibility. Heartwarming, funny, well-penned, unexpectedly suspenseful, this is a solid page-turner, right through to the touching end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)