The Learning Curve [Import] [Paperback]

Melissa Nathan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2006

From the bestselling author of The Nanny, comes this captivating new novel about a teacher who is idolized by her class, particularly ten-year-old Oscar. Oscar’s father is a frazzled single-parent workaholic who resents any interference from his son’s teacher.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Melissa Nathan was born and raised in Hertfordshire. A journalist for twelve years, she turned to writing novels full time in 1998 and shortly afterwards Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field and Persuading Annie were published. Melissa discovered she had breast cancer whilst writing her first novel for Random House, The Nanny, which hit the Sunday Times Top Ten in the spring of 2003. She went on to write another top ten bestseller, The Waitress, and finished her fifth novel The Learning Curve in February 2006. Sadly she died two months later, aged 37. She is survived by her husband, Andrew, and young son, Sam.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Arrow (September 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 009950426X
• ISBN-13: 978-0099504269
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.4 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,170,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lesson Learned, April 8, 2007

By 

R. Chaffey "beckahi" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Learning Curve (Paperback)

As with her previous works, Melissa Nathan's fifth and last book "The Learning Curve" is a warm-hearted, quick-paced pleaser that explores the tenuousness of love and life. Her protagonist this time around is Nicky Hobbs, a thirty-year-old primary school teacher who finds herself facing the sad thought that she may never be able to juggle both career and having children. Not that she's anywhere near to getting married or having children, but the thought is pressing itself upon her rather more these days.

At the beginning of the school year, Nicky instantly takes a liking to Oscar, one of her students, whose workaholic father is often absent from the picture. Oscar's father, Mark, believes he is doing his best to provide for his son; what he learns from his son about his teacher disturbs him - he believes Nicky to be a meddling busybody and is ready to give her a piece of his mind. Instead, during a confrontation at Parents' Night, it is Nicky who gives him a piece of her mind and helps Mark to see that some things have to change. To complicate matters even further, they develop a mutual crush on each other but can't reveal their feelings to each other. As Nicky applies to become headmaster at the school, she finds herself in competition with a Rob, a fellow teacher (and her college boyfriend), who suddenly is very interested in starting things all over again - or is he? Nicky finds herself questioning the motives behind both of the men in her life, while trying to determine exactly what she wants out of life, and what she is able to have in this world.

"The Learning Curve" is sadly Melissa Nathan's last, as she passed away two months after finishing this book from breast cancer. This last novel is full of her trademark wit and her uncanny ability to write about real life and the mix-ups that always happen in the name of love. While technically what the literary world would term "chick lit", Nathan's five novels have constantly risen above the sordid vapidness that the genre title often encompasses: she brought a warmth and intelligence that is lacking from most of this genre's formulaic plots and fabrications. Indeed, "The Learning Curve" examines the idea of women having to choose between career or children; why can't she have both and be successful at both? And it is debated marvelously under Melissa Nathan's sure hands. She will truly be missed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Learning Curve by Melissa Nathan, December 20, 2009

By 

onyx95 "-Debbie" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Learning Curve (Paperback)

A group of teachers at a London school have a year of miscommunications and confusion in their professional life as well as in their personal lives. The Year 6 teacher Miss Nicky Hobbs has her hands full with her newest class, especially when she discovers one of her favorite pupils (Oscar Samuels) has a father that doesn't seem to be a part of his life. The ear full that Nicky gave to Mark Samuels was a career ender, if he told her boss, but maybe it is the eye opener that Mark needs to become a better father.

A very large, long book that had a lot happening all the time. The beginning of the book took a very long time (about 100 pages) to get to the point. Normally I like back story and `more information', but this one almost had more than necessary. While I enjoyed the romance of the main characters (Nicky, Mark and Oscar) that part seemed rushed at the end. It was a complicated romance with a lot of working parts all the way around. Once I was able to get into the story, it was fun and sometimes funny with all of the misdirection.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Learning Curve, September 18, 2006

By 

Nanette Loucks "Nan" (St Paul, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Learning Curve (Paperback)

What a wonderful book! I have enjoyed all of Melissa's books. It saddens me that this is her last book. I will miss her along with many others. My condolences to her family!