Spin Doctor

January 2, 2006
Dirty laundry gets cleaned, dried and aired in the newest women-in-the-city soap opera from Carroll (Play Dates
), an exuberant ode to friendship among women and the need for affordable mental health care (at least in New York City). When a Manhattan psychotherapist decides to offer pro bono counseling in her apartment building's laundry room, her lucky neighbors jump at the chance to wash away "the emotionally damaging detritus of their lives" while they wash away stains from their whites. Dr. Susan Lederer thinks of herself as the ultimate mother hen, dividing her time among her detergent-scented community work, her paying gig at the women's health center and her more literal motherly duties: taking care of a husband, Eli, their two children (aged 11 and 16) and an incontinent dog. That Susan's laundry room patients eventually join together to help Susan through her own domestic crisis is no surprise, but Carroll handles her material with wit and wisdom.

Starred review from January 15, 2006
Psychiatrist Susan Lederer questions her ability to help her probono clients -she holds sessions with her neighbors in their building's laundry room -when she realizes how precarious her own situation is. She's feeling abandoned by her oft-absent husband and challenged by her teen daughter's apathy. But the supportive therapy environment she provides recently widowed Faith; Talia, a ballerina in the twilight of her career; Amy, an overwhelmed new mother; Alice, reeling from her own losses; Meriel, negotiating being the housekeeper in Amy's dysfunctional household; and Naomi and Claude, a lesbian couple whose efforts to adopt introduce unexpected issues, turns out to be an unconventional two-way street when Susan finds herself facing a stunning personal setback. Carroll (Play Dates) writes her engaging latest novel with wit and warmth. The issues she raises and examines lend the story emotional weight and substance and, several unpredictable twists guarantee a satisfying conclusion. Carroll's diverse characters will appeal to readers beyond the chick-lit crowd. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [Carroll also writes under the pen name of Amanda Elyot, whose latest effort is By a Lady, reviewed below. -Ed.]" -Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L., NY"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2006
Most therapists see their patients in an office. Susan sees hers in the laundry room of a ew York apartment building. Each week she counsels the women in her building in informal sessions, working through problems with their careers and families. The women are diverse in their backgrounds and their dilemmas--a lesbian couple is struggling through the adoption process; a young actress is grieving for the grandmother who raised her; a West Indian housekeeper tangles with her employer, a stressed new mother. When her own life begins falling apart, Susan realizes that she needs her laundry-room patients as much as they need her. In a novel that celebrates the power of female friendships, Carroll creates sympathetic characters from all walks of life--a rarity in most women's contemporary fiction--and readers are sure to appreciate it. Perfect for those looking for more than another single-gal-in-the-city story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)