The Bright Side of Disaster: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: The Bright Side of Disaster, Katherine Center, Julia Child

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First-time novelist Center nails ornery and opinionated Texas women in this uneven tale of survival of the hardly fit. "It's not how you wanted it, but it's how it is," jilted and pregnant Jenny Harris is advised by her long-divorced mom. "Much of mothering is that way." Jenny's rock and roll wannabe fiancé Dean Murphy ditches her for a woman who died before he had the chance to sleep with her. ("I don't feel the same about you anymore. It's not my fault," he writes in his I'm-outta-here note.) Jenny has little time to nurse the heartbreak; baby Maxie is born the next day, and all Jenny's plans implode. What pulls Jenny through new mom hell is a network of bright, fearless women who thrive despite the bumbling men around them: Jenny's feisty mom with the "big Texas personality," blunt best friend Meredith and single-mom Claudia prove single women needn't be lonely, pathetic or poor. Yet this gaggle of sharp and funny supergals mostly falls apart when it comes to men. There's a rogue's gallery of thinly drawn louts, and from the rabble rises Jenny's dreamboat neighbor John Gardner, a pediatric nephrologist on sabbatical. Dean, of course, reappears, presenting Jenny with a not-difficult dilemma. Center's debut is fast-moving and pleasantly diverting, thanks to sharp dialogue and a narrative that's heavier on the sass than the diaper rash. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Jenny Harris is nesting in her Houston home with her fiance, Dean, awaiting the birth of their child, to be followed by their wedding. But Dean grows more distant, especially after a coworker dies in a plane crash, and Jenny ends up becoming a single mother. Determined to take good care of her child, she tries to forget about Dean, relegating him to the past. Coping with a baby takes all Jenny's time, so when her perfect single neighbor takes an interest, Jenny is flattered but exhausted. Then, when she finally decides to take a chance and get to know him, Dean comes back into her life. In her stellar first novel, Center paints an accurate and humorous view of motherhood, from the physical changes to lack of sleep and exhaustion as well as the changes in friendships and feelings about men. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (June 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400066379
• ISBN-13: 978-1400066377
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #324,789 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars funny, warm, excellent read, June 26, 2007

By	J. Harper (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm glad my wife recommended this book to me - she laughed out loud reading it and thought I'd like it. It's not the type of book I'd normally pick up (older guys usually don't read about the problems of young mothers, and it's not in the mystery genre that I normally read for fun). But this is not just a "woman's" book. I loved it. It's well written, and more important the characters become real people. The guys are never put down (although of course some are nicer than others). It is a funny, warm, well-written novel. I can recommend it highly.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Light/Easy Read, July 29, 2007

By	Loves Books (Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

Despite the rather misleadingly grim title, I found this book fast and easy reading.

Although one of the main themes of the book is about being a new, single Mom, that's not the only theme. I'm sure those who have been a new mother will find much to identify with here, but I also enjoyed the book despite not having that distinction. There is really something for everyone, with interwoven storylines featuring relationships of every type - family, love and friendship.

I found it a quick, light, yet rich, book to curl up with. I'll look forward to the author's next book, since this is her first.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, June 28, 2007

By	T. Gould (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a really great book. It is incredibly moving and funny and lovely and a very quick read. Highly highly recommended.