Driving Lessons: A Contemporary Women's Fiction Novel of Identity and New Beginnings (P.S.) - Softcover

Fishman, Zoe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062059823 ISBN 13: 9780062059826

Publisher: MorrowPb, 2014

Synopsis

Sometimes life's most fulfilling journeys begin without a map

An executive at a New York cosmetics firm, Sarah has had her fill of the interminable hustle of the big city. When her husband, Josh, is offered a new job in suburban Virginia, it feels like the perfect chance to shift gears.

While Josh quickly adapts to their new life, Sarah discovers that having time on her hands is a mixed blessing. Without her everyday urban struggles, who is she? And how can she explain to Josh, who assumes they are on the same page, her ambivalence about starting a family?

It doesn't help that the idea of getting behind the wheel—an absolute necessity of her new life—makes it hard for Sarah to breathe. It's been almost twenty years since she's driven, and just the thought of merging is enough to make her teeth chatter with anxiety. When she signs up for lessons, she begins to feel a bit more like her old self again, but she's still unsure of where she wants to go.

Then a crisis involving her best friend lands Sarah back in New York—a trip to the past filled with unexpected truths about herself, her dear friend, and her seemingly perfect sister-in-law . . . and an astonishing surprise that will help her see the way ahead.

About this title

About the Author

Zoe Fishman is the 2020 Georgia Author of the Year. She is the bestselling author of five previous novels and several awards including Booklist’s “Top 10 Books of the Year” and an IndieNext Pick. 

She’s been featured on “City Lights” with Lois Reitzes, and in Publisher’s Weekly and The Atlanta Jewish Times among others. Her essays have been published in The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal Constitution and Modern Loss.  

Zoe was the Director of The Decatur Writers Studio and a visiting writer at SCAD Atlanta. She lives in Decatur with her two sons.

From the Back Cover

Sometimes life's most fulfilling journeys begin without a map

An executive at a New York cosmetics firm, Sarah has had her fill of the interminable hustle of the big city. When her husband, Josh, is offered a new job in suburban Virginia, it feels like the perfect chance to shift gears.

While Josh quickly adapts to their new life, Sarah discovers that having time on her hands is a mixed blessing. Without her everyday urban struggles, who is she? And how can she explain to Josh, who assumes they are on the same page, her ambivalence about starting a family?

It doesn't help that the idea of getting behind the wheel—an absolute necessity of her new life—makes it hard for Sarah to breathe. It's been almost twenty years since she's driven, and just the thought of merging is enough to make her teeth chatter with anxiety. When she signs up for lessons, she begins to feel a bit more like her old self again, but she's still unsure of where she wants to go.

Then a crisis involving her best friend lands Sarah back in New York—a trip to the past filled with unexpected truths about herself, her dear friend, and her seemingly perfect sister-in-law . . . and an astonishing surprise that will help her see the way ahead.

Reviews

Sarah Simon and her husband, Josh, do something they never thought they would. They trade their hip New York City neighborhood for practically rural Virginia. While Josh settles in with his fellow professors, Sarah feels pressure to either define her career path or have a baby. Why not? She has nothing else to do, especially since she is terrified of driving. But a serendipitous run-in with a car (which turns out to belong to Ray, a driving instructor) has her getting out of the house with a combination of reluctance and gratitude. When she gets bad news from her best friend, Mona, Sarah runs back to New York to be by her side, as much out of desperation as out of friendship. But the more time she spends in New York, the more she realizes she is done with the city, especially when Mona makes her drive in Manhattan. Sarah is a relatable mess, Josh is a dream husband, and the supporting characters are mostly a hoot. Although the novel is a bit heavy on talk-out-our-feelings dialogue, it is a charming story. --Susan Maguire

Edition details

• Publisher: MorrowPb
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062059823
• ISBN 13: 9780062059826
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336