She Makes It Look Easy-Marybeth Whalen

She Makes It Look Easy
Marybeth Whalen
David C. Cook, Jun 1 2011, $14.99
ISBN: 9780781403702

In Essex Falls Ariel Baxter is the mother of three rambunctious sons (eight year old Donovan, six year old Dylan, and four year old Duncan). She works hard at her family photography business while her husband's work schedule leaves them with little time between them. Her prime pet peeve is how cheap her spouse is as he saves for a monsoon.

The Miller family is the next door neighbor to the Baxter brood. To Ariel they are perfect. The matriarch Justine always dresses to perfection, the husband Mark insures the lawn is mowed and nice looking; the two daughters (Cameron and Caroline) are well behaved. Also neighbors are Betsy and Tom; he is Justine's former boyfriend. Ariel ignores single mom divorcee Erica as being impaired by not having a husband-father. Instead she emulates Justine the great organizer.

Intriguing, readers will relish this fine neighborhood tale as Ariel learns perfection is not quite easy to achieve especially usually at exorbitant personal costs. The ensemble cast is fully developed so that readers can compare their traits just as Ariel did when she concludes Justine makes it look easy. However, as she learns more about her perfect neighbor Ariel begins to appreciate the brown patchy grass seems greener in her yard. This is an entertaining look at images and role models as nobody’s perfect.

Harriet Klausner