The Hazards of Sleeping Alone

September 15, 2004
Anyone who has awakened in the night alone and afraid will rejoice at Charlotte's transformation from a fearful middle-aged recluse who compulsively checks locks and window latches to a fun-loving, confident woman. A divorced mother, Charlotte has spent most of her adulthood immersed in daughter Emily's life, anxiously averting all potential disasters. Headstrong Emily, now grown up and on her own, visits Charlotte's new condo, bringing her boyfriend and a whole carload of new and scary problems. Forced into a solitary life, Charlotte takes her first uncomfortable steps into the world of Thai food, dating, and traveling alone, while her daughter gets her first taste of adult heartache. Awakened to her own personality flaws and challenged by events and people outside her control, Charlotte finds a new purpose in life. With a light, conspiratorial tone, Juska, the author of " Getting Over Jack Wagner " (2003), paints an accurate picture of life's pitfalls and heartaches, and she celebrates the coping skills developed by women of character. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)