The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Weiner "transcends her own fiercely defended chick-lit author status by running her highlighter across a hot-button question of the zeitgeist: What do public marriages mean in the era of Tiger, Eliot, John, and Billary?" Other critics, however, aren't quite so sure that Fly Away Home rises above Weiner's usual fare. After all, it's the compulsively likable, if somewhat clichéd, women and their issues that take center stage; the less-developed male characters fall by the wayside. Still, as she does in previous novels, Weiner successfully excavates complex relationships. In the end, if not one of Weiner's best, Fly Away Home "is a well-tuned hymn to the resilience of women in the wake of heartache, regret, and the failed promises of Botox" (_Philadelphia Inquirer_).
From
Sylvie Serfer Woodruff is stunned when her husband, Senator Richard Woodruff, is exposed by the press for having an affair with a staffer. Though Sylvie is humiliated, she agrees to stand by Richard’s side during his mea culpa press conference. As soon as it’s over, she heads to a house in Connecticut owned by her family, not sure whether she wants to end her marriage or not. The Woodruffs’ two daughters are at similar crossroads in their lives. Diana, a physician with a young son, is carrying on an affair with a younger man after growing weary of her marriage, while her younger sister, Lizzie, a recovering addict, is trying to rebuild her life after a stint in rehab. Realizing she has always put Richard first before her children, Sylvie makes a bid to have her daughters join her out at the Connecticut house and is surprised to find their lives as tumultuous as hers has become. Weiner’s trademark blend of wit and sensitivity distinguishes this timely tale about a family in crisis. --Kristine Huntley
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From
The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Weiner "transcends her own fiercely defended chick-lit author status by running her highlighter across a hot-button question of the zeitgeist: What do public marriages mean in the era of Tiger, Eliot, John, and Billary?" Other critics, however, aren't quite so sure that Fly Away Home rises above Weiner's usual fare. After all, it's the compulsively likable, if somewhat clichéd, women and their issues that take center stage; the less-developed male characters fall by the wayside. Still, as she does in previous novels, Weiner successfully excavates complex relationships. In the end, if not one of Weiner's best, Fly Away Home "is a well-tuned hymn to the resilience of women in the wake of heartache, regret, and the failed promises of Botox" (_Philadelphia Inquirer_).
From
Sylvie Serfer Woodruff is stunned when her husband, Senator Richard Woodruff, is exposed by the press for having an affair with a staffer. Though Sylvie is humiliated, she agrees to stand by Richard’s side during his mea culpa press conference. As soon as it’s over, she heads to a house in Connecticut owned by her family, not sure whether she wants to end her marriage or not. The Woodruffs’ two daughters are at similar crossroads in their lives. Diana, a physician with a young son, is carrying on an affair with a younger man after growing weary of her marriage, while her younger sister, Lizzie, a recovering addict, is trying to rebuild her life after a stint in rehab. Realizing she has always put Richard first before her children, Sylvie makes a bid to have her daughters join her out at the Connecticut house and is surprised to find their lives as tumultuous as hers has become. Weiner’s trademark blend of wit and sensitivity distinguishes this timely tale about a family in crisis. --Kristine Huntley