Customer Reviews

29: A Novel

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
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Spoilers. This novel may be packaged like chick lit (not to knock it, I'm a fan), and maybe in some ways it is, if by "chick" you mean 75-year-old feisty grandmother. I'd expected this book to be about Lucy, or involve some sort of swap, but really it's about Ellie Jerome, a woman who wishes on her 75th birthday to be 29 for a day, and gets her wish. Halpern does an excellent job of exploring both her excitement over her newly taut body mixed with the generation gap as Ellie realizes that being 29 now is not what it was in her day.

Was Ellie's husband her true soul mate? Did she even really love him? The answers Ellie starts out with are not necessarily the ones she winds up with, and I wasn't quite certain what she would choose or how she would view her past; while I like how the book ended, there was a part of me that wishes Ellie had made other choices, for her sake. Barbara, Lucy's mother and Ellie's granddaughter, is one of the more entertaining, as well as annoying, characters you'll meet, and is fun to hate.

While the plot is a bit contrived, regarding who gets to find out Ellie's secret, the revelations and repercussions of that one day are so broad that you can forgive any convoluted ways. Ellie is a memorable character at both ages and her excitement over the life of her granddaughter, and her estrangement from her daughter, are shown to be part of, but certainly not the whole of her life. Just as the reader comes to know Ellie as a full person with wishes, dreams, fears and regrets, so does her family, and she doesn't hold anything back. 29 is a lot of fun but also has some important messages about family, love and seizing the day, which Ellie does with aplomb (even if she doesn't get to try on her underwear). I liked that Lucy, the 25-year-old, while a vital player here, took a backseat to Ellie; they argued and had fun but this is Ellie's story. A refreshing, lively read that I plan to gift to my grandmother!

This was a joyful, fun, witty, hilarious and amusing tale of a wish come true! Seventy-five-year-old Ellie Jerome makes a wish on her birthday to be 29 again, just for one day. A day later she wakes up and `poof' there she is, a stunning beauty 29 years of age!!

The only one she can trust and confide in who will believe her is her own 29-year-old granddaughter Lucy. Once Lucy gets over the shock of really realizing that the gorgeous and strikingly beautiful woman standing before her really IS her 75-year-old Grandmother, the two sit down and make a list of all the things Ellie wants to experience in one day that she had not experienced the first time she was 29.

Not wanting to involve Ellie's daughter and Lucy's mother, Barbra nor Ellie's best friend Frida, Ellie and Lucy quickly gather what they need and set out on their day of adventure. In the meantime, Barbara and Frida are on their own adventure because they think Ellie has been kidnapped because they can't find her and no one seems to have seen her. What poor Barbara and Frida go through is truly exhausting at the same time, for the reader, a giggling, sniggering, hooting laugh all the way through!

This is a fairy tale book that should become a classic!!

Being a bit past the 70 year mark, I can say with absolute authority, this is the most real, most fun, most honest book I've ever read about women, men, and aging. It's fabulous!

It's also very obvious that the author really did spend a lot of time with older women -- she certainly is nowhere near that age yet herself, but they really unloaded to her, and she really, REALLY got it!

There cannot be a 70-something woman alive who hasn't wished at some recent time to be once again 29 or even 39 for just a day. Just one day. Knowing what I know now, I'd never really want to be that age again, for any length of time, but oh! What I could do with one day. Just one. Wow. The mind boggles just to think about it.

Lucky Ellie Jerome to have had such a wish come true -- and all the resultant adventures that followed her wish. But Ellie is also fortunate in her daughter Barbara, grand-daughter Lucy and best friend Frida. We should all be so blessed.

Thank goodness that dreams are ageless. We can be young again and live the fantasy life in that world, even if we can't manage it in the real one!

Thank goodness, too, for Adena Halpern, who created this totally charming and joyful fairy tale for those of us who wish we could, just one more time . . .

I must be honest-- I know the author. That being said, like the main character Ellie, if I didn't have something nice to say, I wouldn't say it at all. Halpern does a wonderful job capturing the spirit of a different generation, and through this sweet story shows that perhaps they aren't so different at all. It is hard not to fall in love with Ellie Jerome and root for her during her adventure. While not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as some of her earlier work, this one has a well-developed plot and well-described characters that practically jump off the page. Having grown up in Philly with the author, I appreciated the many mentions of establishments past and present. But even without that extra layer for most readers, this is a great story that sands on its own. Buy it!!!

Which of us hasn't wished, at one time or another, that we could go back in time to a younger, firmer body and start over - of course knowing what we do now? Well, this is a slight twist on that scenario. Ellie Jerome doesn't go back in time but for one day she gets to be 29 years old in today's world.

I loved this story and its characters. It is a light, refreshing, quick read but actually has a lot of to say - about aging and the way we handle it; choices and decision making; how we treat those that we love; and the things that we consider important in our lives.

I wish I could be 29 for one day....hmmmmm!

The concept of this book really appealed to me. How cool to go back to an age (whatever it is) and be free of your current life and commitments? I expected Ellie, the main character, to go back in time to when she was actually 29, and have a redo for that one day. Instead, the book takes place in her current time and she just becomes 29 for the one day. Part of the plot then, focused on the side characters and their response to her situation. The benefit of the way Halpern chose to write allowed each character to develop and be changed too, without altering Ellie's entire life.

Ellie's relationship with her granddaughter is very special. I think the best part of the book is that Ellie chooses to spend her day with Lucy. They get even closer as a result of this unique experience. I know I would have liked to have known my grandmothers when they were younger, just to see them as people and not a parent's parent. One especiallly was a bit wild, and it would have been fun to hang out with her.

When the book first starts and at times throughout the story, it really comes across as preachy. Most of us know that we need calcium, too much sun leads to cancer, and so forth. Upon learning, from the interview section at the end, that Halpern interviewed numerous women in their 70's, the comments are easier to take.

I am looking forward to talking about it with my book club, as there are interesting concepts to consider. If given the chance, would someone choose to relive a day or an age if they could? The book also focuses a lot on regrets and relationships. It should be a good discussion.

If you like this type of concept, check out Jude Deveraux's books The Summerhouse and Return to Summerhouse.

It's official - Adena Halpern is my new favorite chick-lit author. After devouring "The Ten Best Days of My Life", I started "29" thinking there was no way I would enjoy it is much. I think I liked it more. I love Halpern's writing style - so breezy and conversational. When reading, I feel an intimate connection with the narrators as if they are speaking directly to me. This book made me laugh, made me cry and REALLY made me miss my grandmothers

If you could be 29 again would you do it and if so what would you do differently? Would you find the experience liberating or would you long to return to your current situation? In 29 by Adena Halpern, Ellie Jerome the grandmother-heroine is faced with exactly that scenario.

Ellie Jerome was raised in an era when women did what was expected. She has lived a full, respectable, life as a wife of lawyer (the now deceased Howard), mother of an adult daughter (Barbara) and grandmother of a fashion designer (Lucy), but on her 75th birthday she feels like she has missed something in life. In particular, Ellie muses:

"What would my life have been like if I had married someone I was in love with? What kind of person would I have become if I had married my soul mate? If I'd had the choice all those years ago, if my mother hadn't stood in the way and told me to marry Howard. If I'd married with my heart, would my life have been any better? What would my daughter have been like as a result? Would Barbara been more independent?

Although Ellie has the body and the thoughts of a 75 year old, she shares a similar free spiritedness with her twenty five year old her granddaughter Lucy. So when the birthday cake is brought out Ellie wishes to be twenty nine again just for one day and "go crazy." The next morning, Ellie's wish is granted with story following her memorable day.

In 29, Halpern has crafted a sweet story with a message and engaging characters. I especially enjoyed the antics of Barbara and Frida (Ellie's 75 year old best friend) who are in hot pursuit of the 29 year old Ellie, but seem to meet every disaster along the way. In the reader's guide at the back of the novel, Halpern states that she was inspired by The-Out-of-Towners in writing this part of the plot. As for Ellie's storyline, Halpern confesses to being influenced by Roman Holiday. With cinematic inspirations as these, it is no wonder that 29 is such an entertaining novel!

29 is a light, humorous, book that doesn't take itself too seriously, but nevertheless manages to make some rather profound statements about life.




Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (June 15, 2010), 288 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

On her seventy-fifth birthday, Ellie takes the time to reflect on her life. She realizes that to the average onlooker, she's had it pretty good. She married a prominent lawyer and spent her days playing bridge at the country club and raising their daughter, Barbara.

Her husband passed away a few years ago and now Ellie lives in an apartment on her own. She goes out with friends and enjoys sitting on her porch. Yet Ellie longs for the life she never had, a life like her granddaughter, Lucy, has now. Lucy is a free-spirited fashion designer who's constantly on the go.

Barbara could only fit twenty-nine candles on Ellie's birthday cake, so it's only appropriate that Ellie wishes to be that age again just for a day. Wishes do come true! She wakes up in the body of a much younger woman! She lets Lucy in on her amazing transformation and together they hit the bustling streets of Philadelphia.

Naturally, she needs a hip new wardrobe to accent her figure, a makeover, and a sleek, modern haircut. She uses the alias of Lucy's cousin and meets many of Lucy's friends throughout the day. The evening would not be complete without meeting a wonderful man who takes her home for a night of passion! What a wonderful time!

Meanwhile, Barbara is extremely worried when she can't reach her mother and enlists Frida's help. Frida is a sensible old woman and together they hunt for Ellie. Where could she be?

What happens when the clock strikes midnight? Will Ellie be able to keep the happiness that she's longed for, or is it too late?

This is a terrific book full of laughs, thoughtful moments, and reflections. I found it inspiring in the sense that we all have the opportunity to make moments worth living for. I highly recommend this novel!

Reviewed by: hoopsielv

Be Careful What You Wish For

On Ellie's 75th birthday, she blew out the candles and made a wish. She wished to be 29 years old for just one day. It was silly and wishful thinking. Who knew such a wish could really come true? The next morning she woke up in a younger body. No blurry eyes. No hard hearing. No saggy breasts. No wrinkled neck. Before her in the mirror stood a gorgeous young version.

After the realization that her wish actually came true, Ellie set out to do all the things she wished she would have done. It was the perfect time to take back any regrets, be young again, fall in love with a soul mate, and just have fun. As her day went on, I wasn't as excited though. I expected her to do more, but it was just an ordinary day in the life of an average 29-year-old. So will she turn back old? Or make another birthday wish to stay 29 forever?

Author Adena Halpern is funny and imaginative. I knew I'd like this cute book when I realized she was the author of Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown. Though I wouldn't recommend for a book club or as a stand-alone read; it is better suited if you're in the mood for a silly, light summer story. It's creative and explored an idea that women contemplate at least once in their lives. What if I could be young again?

L. Marie