Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe (Paperback)

~ (Author) "ON THE FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE CHRISTMAS BREAK, TWISTING south on Highway 101 and engrossed in the soaring voice of k.d. lang singing perhaps the saddest..." (more)
Key Phrases: Center of the Universe, Patsy Cline, Jackie Anderson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An award-winning high school science teacher who juggles marriage, motherhood and massive traditional Italian meals, Mira Serafino is called Miss Control Freak by her best friend Lannie, an eccentric musician who owns a yarn and guitar shop in their close-knit community of Pacifica, Ore. Shortridge (Eating Heaven) flashes back to Mira's difficult childhood (where she adopted the role of Saint Mira, absorber of all family pain) as her marriage hits a major snag, sending Mira into a process of self-examination. Mira's Type A–ness comes through clearly, and secondaries—including a difficult daughter, incommunicado brother and a father who is about as sensitive as a Mack truck—deepen her dilemmas. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“[A] wry and funny portrait.”
—Diana Loevy, author of The Book

“Smart, funny, and endearing…one terrific read!”
—Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“Flawless storytelling make[s] this a book to remember.”
—Karen White, author of The Memory of Water

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 367 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (May 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451223888
• ISBN-13: 978-0451223883
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #384,045 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, intelligent, humorous; Unputdownable. :-), March 1, 2009

By	Gayla M. Collins (Sheridan, WY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

On a whim one day I bought "Riding With the Queen" by Jennie Shortridge. Loved It. Followed through by purchasing "Eating Heaven." Loved it. When I saw she had a new one, I snatched it right up and am I ever grateful that I did.

Mira is a middle-aged women who lives on the coastline of Oregon where she has dutifully taken care of her husband, daughter, father, grandmother and several relatives from her huge Italian family while also teaching 6th grade science. She faces menopause with a daughter, Thea, 22, and so rebellious she breaks Mira's heart. Mira's hubby has found a new woman, opineing he is unhappy and has a "friend;" she is helping him feel better in many ways.

Mira breaks; Mira hits the highway north!

Not knowing where she will end up Mira settles for where her radiator breaks.....downtown Seattle. She finds a job managing a coffee shop and a rat-trap apartment above it to live in. All the upheaval that is her new life is shared with us in so many amusing, touching, down-right heartbreaking details that the book can not be put aside. The prose is smart; the characters so believable, the plot always surprising. I LOVED this book. It is my favorite of all.

If you get the chance to purchase this book then do!!! Soon. Women will see so much of themselves between the pages. I laughed; I cried; I mused. It is sublime.

Thank-you Ms. Shortridge for making my reading life just that much more pleasant!!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading my life story!, May 22, 2008

By	Hope McGillis "Hope" (Duncan, OK) - See all my reviews

I have to admit that I bought this book by its cover...I had never read any of Jennie's books before this one! I bought the book on Friday evening after work and finished it on Saturday evening! I truly felt as if I was reading about my life! After twenty two years of marriage, I woke up not knowing who I was or what I was suppose to do with my life! My ex was having an affair and my world was turned upside down. Jennie thank you for bringing to life a very painful, but "growing" life experience for many of us! I will read any book that you write and can't wait to purchase more of this one for some of my friends!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good story is still a good story., June 24, 2008

By	G. Myers (Carnation, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Okay, 1st confession - I am not a woman. 2nd confession - I am not middle-aged (although I can see it from here). What can I say, 40 is the new 20, right? One last confession - I have never had a husband cheat on me - which would be a great surprise to me and an even greater one to my wife. So, it is easy to see I am not the target market.
That being said, I truly enjoyed this book. Jennie has written characters so vibrant, so real and so familiar that I swear I have been to the Serafino Family Christmas party. The interactions between the characters are real. Reading this book brought up memories of my family and some of their antics - in a good way. By the way, if you do not have a friend like Lannie then go find one. Everyone deserves to have a 'Lannie' in their life.
Mira's coming-of-(middle)age struggles kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next - all the way to the last page. As the story unfolded, I found myself alternately saying "You go girl!" when Mira takes a step forward; and "Oh! Mira, Mira, Mira - what were you thinking?" when she finds herself going back a step.
Jennie's dialogue (both internal and external) are masterfully written and engaging. She has skillfully back-dropped the story in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Having visited the Oregon Coast on several occasions and being a resident of the Seattle area, I was able to visualize all the locations in the book easily. She uncannily brings out the legendary Seattle coffee fetish with good humor. I think we have all stood in line behind some of the customers we see at The Center of the Universe. Yet, Jennie does all this with a light touch. She weaves the world around the characters in such a way that it adds to the story rather than detract from it.
In short, you do not have to be a perimenopausal woman who has had a bad relationship to enjoy this book. A good story is still a good story.