Real Life & Liars

February 16, 2009
The Zielinskis, the dysfunctional family of Riggle’s delightful debut, have some problems, even if things at Mirabelle and Max’s 35th anniversary party—thrown by their three adult children—at first seem peachy. Soon, though, the cracks appear: daughter Katya’s stuck in a loveless marriage and saddled with three bratty kids. Son Ivan’s a struggling songwriter who falls for all the wrong girls, and the youngest daughter, Irina, is a free-spirited 21-year-old, knocked up by a man twice her age. There’s just no more room in their lives for another problem, but Mirabelle has a secret—she’s dying of breast cancer. With ease and grace, Riggle walks the fine line between sentimentality and comedy, and she has a sure hand in creating fun, quirky characters. Humorous and humane storytelling makes this much better than the standard cancer tear-jerker.

June 30, 2009
Mira and Max Zielinski are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary with 120 of their closest friends and their three children: Katya, Ivan, and Irina, who are blissfully ignorant that Mira has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Of course, even without cancer, most families are like a bomb waiting to explode, and this crew is no different: Katya suspects her husband of having an affair, Ivan has been recently dumped, and Irina arrives fresh from her impromptu Vegas wedding with a baby on the way and an African American husband almost twice her age. Bomb? More like a munitions factory.A Verdict First novelist Riggle goes beyond the stereotypes to create truly unique and idiosyncratic characters. She should find a wide audience among readers who can't get enough of dysfunctional clans. [Reading group guide.] [For a collection of breast cancer fiction, see 4/3/09 BookSmack!]-Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2009
Mirabelle and Max Zielinskis children have returned home for their parents thirtieth anniversary. Mirabelle must tell them that she was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, but theyre preoccupied with their own crises. Katya, the eldest, hides behind a perfectly controlled front, but her marriage and affluent lifestyle are in jeopardy. Ivan, the moody middle child, keeps pursuing the wrong women and cant get his songwriting career off the ground. The youngest, Irina, shows up with a surprise husband and pregnancy. Faced with her mortality, Mirabelle is stricken by how her children have diverged from her hippie upbringing and wonders if they still need her. Riggle crafts a moving and accomplished first novel about a family coming to terms with change. The characters are familiar but not stereotypical, and the quaint setting of Charlevoix, Michigan, a beachfront town, adds to the nostalgic feel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)