A Little Help from Above (Paperback)

by Saralee Rosenberg (Author) "Very funny..." (more)
Key Phrases: little help from above, New York, Shelby Lazarus, North Shore (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
In this busy debut novel, Shelby Lazarus, a hotshot reporter for the Chicago Tribune, is a beautiful but quite nasty shrew of a woman who returns to the family she despises when her father and stepmother are involved in a serious accident. Shelby, estranged from her family for more than two years, has been unable to maintain a loving relationship with anyone since she was 10 years old. At that time, two events occurred that changed her forever: her best friend and the love of her young life, Mattie, moved away, and her mother died soon after. Exasperated and tired of watching from the afterlife as her eldest child continues on an unmarried, unhappy, and angry path, the late Sandy Lazarus (Shelby's mom) determines to do something about it. She sets out interfering with Shelby's life, beginning with this accident that brings her errant daughter home. Packed full of action and many subplots, it wouldn't be surprising to hear that this book will be produced as a "made-for-TV" movie. Kathleen Hughes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

Of course I expected the world -- and my daughters -- to change. It's nearly thirty years since I passed on. Still, I hardly recognize the place. Day spas on every corner. Miniature telephones. And such racy television programs. Though I do love that "Sex and the City."

And yet, some things never change. Stubbornness. Pettiness. Families who fight. Like mine. Especially my older daughter, Shelby.

She stopped speaking to the family. Hasn't been home in years. And it's not as if her romantic life is so great, either. She may be this hot-shot journalist, but she's still thirty-eight and as single as a sock in the dryer.

Enough is enough, I thought. There must be a way to get her to come home. Make nice with her father. Pal around with her adoring sister. Maybe even reunite with that little neighbor boy she never stopped loving.

One tiny problem. We've been warned about tinkering with divine intervention. But here's a universal truth every mother in the afterlife knows. Whether dead or alive, the job never ends. So, my darling Shelby, that wake-up call YOU hear tomorrow morning? It's not the Ritz. Just a little help from above.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Avon A; 1St Edition edition (December 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060096209
• ISBN-13: 978-0060096205
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #764,664 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book....heartwarming, thought-provoking and hilariously funny, July 10, 2005

By	love to read "I L J" (new jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

I enjoyed this book more than I have any other in quite some time! The author is extremely talented and very funny! I could not put it down, but as I got close to finishing, I didn't want it to end. I loved the characters as well as the storylines. For any reviewer who "didn't get it", I have to believe that you are lacking in the sense of humor category! Some of you sound like Shelby, the one who supposedly offended you so much! Get a grip, Guys; it's a NOVEL! For those of you who are open-minded and can appreciate a great story that is well-written and quite witty, GET IT AND EBJOY IT! I sure did!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Little Help from an Editor, February 1, 2004

By A Customer

Though I'd read the reviews that warned that the main character, Shelby, was an unlikable shrew, I wasn't scared off. When handled right, an unsympathetic main character can be great fun. That is not the case here. It's hard when you're rooting against the main character.

There wasn't a soul to like in this book. Shelby's portrayed as an appearance-obsessed, impatient and somewhat hateful self-centered witch and yet we're supposed to be cheering her on. Her sister Lauren is almost as selfish as Shelby herself. Minor characters are marched in and out only when it's conveneient for moving the plot along. And there are inconsistencies in the plot that ask too much of even an accepting reader. This book needed some help from a red pen.

The device of the mother's intervention from above--a fun premise--was not used to great effect, the coincidences pulled me right out of the story, and my happiness when it was over was not for its fake-feeling ending, but for finally being able to toss the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wild and wacky story that was fun to read!, July 26, 2006

By	Donna K. "bookcrosser" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

Very witty and cleverly crafted, this is a gallant first effort by the author! It's a story of a long journey on the path of reconciliation, which takes many zany (and sometimes silly) twists and turns. The reflections of the long-dead Sandy, who is trying to manipulate her family's outcome from above, is somewhat reminscent of Debbie Macomber's angels series (I make this comparison as a complement to the author). As a Long Islander, I appreciated accurate representation of this area contained in the setting and in the references to actual real-life places scattered throughout. While there were parts that were a bit unrealistic, such as the chance meeting on the Hutchinson Parkway, the surrogate storyline, and the astrology bits, all-in-all, this was a highly enjoyable story that was lots of fun to read!