The Life Plan [Paperback]

Sybil Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

What would you do if your carefully planned life was falling apart? Like many women, Kat Miller dreams of having a satisfying career, a loving family, and a house of her own. But Kat has taken things further than most, documenting her dreams in a “Life Plan,” so that nothing will go wrong. Yet something has: Dan, her husband of five years. Kat suspects that Dan, recently unemployed, is spending more time in yoga class with his beautiful classmate than he is looking for a job. When Dan announces that he has enrolled in a massage course in Thailand, Kat is convinced she has to go with him to save her marriage. From the offices of Washington, DC, to the gritty streets of Bangkok to the mountain region of Chiang Mai, from the serenity of ancient Buddhist ruins to the passion of the jungle to all-night beach parties, Kat narrates her quest to have it all, only to wonder if having it all is all there is.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here is the American abroad who is neither ugly, nor quiet, nor lost in translation: rather, she is a heroine for our times, unafraid of confronting life as it is. You love Kat for her vulnerability, even as you laugh out loud at her convoluted, comic careening through the world." --Xu Xi, author of "Evanescent Isles" and "The Unwalled City"

"Totally engaging voice and compelling plot. I couldn't put it down. Bravo!" --Sue William Silverman, author of the memoir "Love Sick"

Review

"The Life Plan is a screwball comedy for the 21st century, a witty and winning romp through one woman's discovery that life, love, and liberty do not always go according to plan."

"Baker keeps the upbeat spirit of the romcom even as she updates it to give us a realistic heroine we can identify with."

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Casperian Books LLC (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934081167
• ISBN-13: 978-1934081167
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #544,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sybil Baker is the author of THE LIFE PLAN (Casperian Books) and the linked collection TALISMANS (C&R Press). She spent twelve years teaching in South Korea before moving back to the States in 2007. During her extensive travels throughout Asia, she became increasingly interested in the allure and alienation of American travelers and expatriates, and this has heavily influenced her writing. Her fiction and essays have appeared in numerous journals. Her website can be found at www.sybilbaker.com. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed for Midwest Book Review, October 5, 2009

By 

Christy Tillery French "reviewer/writer" (Powell, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Life Plan (Paperback)

Patent attorney Kat Miller has had a life plan since college and means to stick to it. So far, she's gotten the husband and satisfying career and next on the list is a house and kids. But her husband Dan, unemployed and lackadaisical about finding a job, has other plans. Dan enrolls in a massage therapy course in Thailand and tells Kat she can come or not; either way, he's going. Kat, suspecting Dan's interest in Thailand has to do with a beautiful yoga mate from that country, decides to accompany her husband just in case. Once they arrive in Thailand, Dan changes from loving husband to irritable spouse and decides to pursue his enlightened course which translates to "share the love". Kat wallows in misery for awhile then decides since she's in an exotic country, she might as well enjoy it. Through friends she meets, she travels the countryside, visiting Buddhist ruins and spending time in a jungle village, and along the way rediscovers herself. By the time Kat's vacation is over, she has a big decision to make: continue on with the life plan or simply let life happen.

Sybil Baker pens a hilarious peek at one woman's journey as she discovers more about herself than she thinks possible. Kat Miller is an engaging character, a woman with insecurities and idiosyncrasies who initially seems frail and vulnerable but shows a propensity to roll with the punches and come out ahead. Secondary characters are well-developed and add zest to this thoroughly entertaining book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and Insightful book on being an American abroad, April 28, 2009

By 

Derek (Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life Plan (Paperback)

As an American who in high school never understood why anyone would want to leave the US for any reason and now find myself married to a Turk and living in Turkey for the past 6.5 years, I found it easily relate to and laugh with Kat's experiences as an American abroad, her reflections on living life for the moment versus living life with a purpose, and how living abroad gives one a different perspective on the American dream. Great read Sybil Baker!The Life Plan

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book worth reading, April 13, 2009

By 

David L. Sherrill - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life Plan (Paperback)

I am a middle-age man. I have only a few authors that I read on a regular basis. I picked up the book, The Life Plan by Sybil Baker, and could not put it down. Unexpected is the hook. I kept wanting to know what would happen next. At first, I was questioning the decisions of the heroin, and then by the end, I was cheering for her.

This book may be outside your normal genre, but definitely it is a great read for anyone. I highly recommend it.