Customer Reviews

Pen Pals

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A quick read, yet Pen Pals has well-defined characters, an involved plot, and a conflict on several levels. Women will probably relate well to this story. Deceived by her boyfriend Tom, Jennifer Spencer is drawn into a shady business deal and is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime that she did not commit. Forced to leave her cushy job behind, Jennifer bravely marches off to prison with a false sense of security, believing that her beloved Tom will rescue her quickly from this intolerable situation. After getting off to a bad start in prison, Jennifer reluctantly realizes that she must learn to cope with her incarceration, for she will remain in prison a very long time. With the help of Lenny, a loyal friend on the outside, and a mixed-up group of women prisoners who eventually become allies, Jennifer comes to a new realization about what is important in life. Alternating chapters in this novel are told from the perspective of different characters in the book. There is more than enough suspense to hold the reader's interest. Although the book deals with some harsh realities of life, I found the story to be an uplifting tribute to the power of the human spirit. I read the book in two days; I couldn't put it down.

Jennifer Anne Spencer was just trying to earn a living(OK a very good living) awhen she took the fall for her fiancee, Tom and their boss Donald as the SEC and justice department came after his brokerage firm. Not to worry, the fiancee would get her out of jail quickly and Donald would reward her for her loyalty. No one let Judge Levitt in on the way things were supposed to go, and Jennifer was not supposed to be going to Jennings Correctional Faculity for Women. Poor Jen. Once she lands in the pen she comes under the stewardship of Warden Gwendolyn Harding, and the group of women who not only help her accept the betrayal of the men in her life, but these women form an unlikely aliance and eventual friendship. Pen Pals has a bit of substance to it as it touches on the difficult subject of women in prisin and gives excellent recommended reading at the end of the book. After "Bad Boys" I was hesitant to read another Olivia Goldsmith book. I know the formula, "He done her wrong, not just wrong, but Bad wrong, and she can't believe it, but then she picks herself up by the bootstraps, or brastraps, and not only gets even but emerges wiser and usually richer, and he gets his in the end." And with her sharp dialogue and edgy characters Olivia Goldsmith does this better than almost anyone else.

This book was recommended to me by a co-book club member and her mom. The book was well worth the time spent reading it. It's a story of a young woman who goes to prison and whose life is basically turned upside down. The friendships in Jennings (the name of the women's prison in the story) are so awesome. The author does a great job with character development and by a few chapters, you are introduced to the main character (the crew) and you are given a wonderful opportunity to see inside their lives. I loved the flow of the book, the author's humor, the quotes...it was a great read and I will highly recommend it to other reader's in my circle. This was my first book by this author but definitely not the last, in fact, I picked up "Flavor of the Month" a few days ago...after hearing that it too is also one of this author's favorite. Excellent job on prison research and excellent writing style. (the humor was very appropriate) and the ending was marvelous...especially how TOM got his back..his as in "what he deserved". Cher was not initially my favorite character...but she didn't turn out too bad at all. Maggie and Movita were my favorite characters and my absolute favorite part of the story is the letter that Maggie wrote for the crew to Cher. Well done!

This book is another in the genre of Olivia Goldsmith;woman gets screwed by man;woman gets her revenge. She did considerable research on the status of womens' prisons and the women incarcerated there. Much of the book dealt with the privatization of prisons and the resulting dehumanization of prisoners. This is such a well written,albeit,somehow unbelievable book.The focus is on six prisoners:Jennifer,Movita, Theresa,Cher,Suki,Maggie,and Warden Gwen Harding. Each chapter deals with a specific woman which all blends into the whole of the book. Jennifer is the main character,taking the fall for her Wall Street bosses. Feeling above the rest,she soon realizes she has been badly used and her superior attitude takes a dive, resulting in joining forces with the others. From here on it becomes almost a fantasy,but a very readable one nontheless. The character development is excellent,considering the diverse backgrounds of each of the women.You know each very well. This is a humerous book in spite of the serious subject matter. Olivia Goldsmith can make you smile even in a prison story. In spite of the inconceivable ending it is a good read.

This book has to be one of the most updated views of life of women in prison. Although the story takes place in a minimum security prison. It still hits home with the problems facing the rehabilition for the individuals that are incarcerated. That also includes the main character and corporate scapegoat Jennifer Spencer. Determined not to treated like common crimminal; she tries to throw her weight around from the very first day only to be brought down by the warden and other superiors. It is through her connections and corporate knowledge that in the end the helps improve the prison and her way of thinking about people who she felt in the begining were beneath her.

This is in many ways a very typical Olivia Goldsmith novel--Man does woman wrong. Woman gets revenge, and in the process learns to depend on herself and her girlfriends. What doesn't work for me in this book, is the attempt to intermingle this bit of fluff with the difficult subjects of crime and the Correctional System. It winds up being kind of "Gidget goes to Prison", a bit too unrealistic to take seriously and a bit heavy for fluff.

I bought this book thinking that it would be a lot of laughs, it wasn't. It was however, a good story. It was a bit far fetched at times, but I found myself rooting for Jenny and her friends.
Each chapter in the book being told from a different character's view point added to the flow of the story. A good beach read.

Other reviews give the plot, etc. I agree that some of the writing is mediocre and that some of the plot is unbelievable, but what Goldsmith has done here is exposed the inhumane situation in America's prison systems, especially women's prisons. She cleverly concealed it in a bestseller style and gives good entertainment while doing so.
Therefore, I gave it 4 stars and urge people to read and learn and realize that the truth about our country is not found in the newspapers. It is odd how much of the truth is buried in popular fiction and Goldsmith is to be commended for her research, her daring and her entertaining style.

Olivia Goldsmith has done a sensational job creating the story as well as the characters in Pen Pals. I'm not sure how a story about prison could be entertaining but for me it was.

The story begins with Jennifer Spencer, financial wizard, arrogant to a fault who goes to prison for a crime she doesn't commit. Jennifer arrives in the prison thinking that she'd only be there a day or a week at most but soon realizes she's been set up by the person she's trusted and protected and who is going to leave her there without a second thought. Prison teaches her a lesson that she will never forget. Life is not just about material things but about thinking about something/someone other than yourself. Although the story revolves around not only Jennifer Spencer, the main character, but a group of women in prison for crimes they've committed, some really bad and some not so bad and their courage and strength to survive behind the locked gates. Some of the women's stories are simply heart wrenching but through it all, Jennifer comes out a better person who wants to make a difference for the lives of woman who have been mistreated in the system.

I guess this novel was a reality check for me as it was something I never thought about. I'm sure this novel was jazzed up a bit to show some happiness behind the bars but the truth of the matter is when your freedom is gone -- making it through each day is a challenge. Good work Ms. Goldsmith -- you done good.

As an original fan of author Olivia Goldsmith, PEN PALS was not what I had anticipated. Consistent with Goldsmith's other novels, I had expected a romp with lots of laughs. PEN PALS is no romp, but it also was far better than my expectations.

The title is slang referring to friends in prison or, in vernacular, in the pen. Goldsmith has written an important book about the issues confronting women in prison, from the fact that so many of them somehow are victims of the men that they had been involved with, to the harshness of life inside. Her research is impeccable and, indeed, the final pages of acknowledgments testify to her efforts.

Goldsmith tells the story in the voices of several different prisoners who are forced by their common situation to become each other's support system. There is the white collar criminal, her primary heroine, who has agreed to take the rap for stock fraud committed by her boss. There is an elegant woman (shades of Jean Harris) who killed in a crime of passion, a con woman, etc. All of these characters are well-developed and touching.

PEN PALS bares some resemblance to a fairytale in its outcome; or, perhaps, it is a cautionary tale for the coming millennium. Regardless, the novel is riveting reading and Goldsmith is to be congratulated even for tackling this subject. That she does such a brilliant job with it simply is proof of her skill as a writer.

PEN PALS will make an extraordinary movie. Congratulations, Olivia Goldsmith, on your most important work to date.