By Tall Poppy Writer, Aimie K. Runyan
A confession: I avoid stories that center around divorce and devolving marriages like most people avoid the chatty drunk uncle with too many war stories at the family wedding. My thought has always been that if I want to spend ten hours of my life invested in an unhappy marriage, I can just pick a fight with my husband and save the $10 for a happier book. But when enough friends recommended Lift and Separate by Marilyn Simon Rothstein, I had to give it a try.
The story opens with Marcy Hammer, a 60-year-old empty nester whose husband Harvey has just left her. A fourth-generation bra designer and manufacturer, Harvey admits to a several-month long affair with a 22-year-old fitting model. While Marcy is understandably heartbroken at the sudden dissolution of what had been a previously happy marriage, the story does not linger in the woe-is-me phase of her grief. Rothstein creates characters who are realistic and sympathetic—Marcy isn’t the flawless victim, nor his Harvey the mustache-twirling villain.
Rothstein’s sense of humor is positively pervasive throughout the story. I listened to the story on Audible, and I am sure more than person who peered into my car while I listened must have wondered what was making the solo travelling blonde woman bray like a donkey. While Marcy’s predicament is an awful one, this book teaches a great lesson—through humor, we can survive most anything. I highly recommend this hilarious novel to anyone in need of a feel-good laugh!
From the back cover:
Marcy Hammer’s life has been turned upside down. Her husband, the head of a global brassiere empire, didn’t think twice about leaving her after thirty-three years of marriage for a 32DD lingerie model. Now Harvey the Home-Wrecker is missing in action, but Marcy’s through thinking about what a cliché he is. What she needs now is a party-size bag of potato chips, a good support system, and a new dress.
Striking out on her own is difficult at first, but Marcy manages to find traces of humor in her heartbreak. Even while devastated by Harvey’s departure, she still has her indomitable spirit and her self-respect. She has no intention of falling apart, either, even when her adult children drop a few bombshells of their own and she discovers a secret about her new, once-in-a-lifetime friend. Life may be full of setbacks, but by lifting herself up by her own lacy straps, Marcy just may be able to handle them all.
Bio:
Aimie K. Runyan writes to celebrate history’s unsung heroines. She has written three historical novels, including the internationally bestselling Daughters of the Night Sky. She is active as an educator and speaker in the writing community and beyond. She lives in Colorado with her wonderful husband and two (usually) adorable children. To learn more about Aimie, please visit www.aimiekrunyan.com
