Just One Look

In 1965 Chicago, thirteen-year-old Dani Marek declares she’s in love, and you best believe it. This is no crush, and for six blissful years she fills her hope chest with linens, dinnerware, and dreams of an idyllic future with John. When he is killed in action in Viet Nam, Dani’s world shatters. She launches a one-woman vendetta against the men she seeks out in Rush Street’s singles bars. Her goal: break as many hearts as she can. Dani’s ill-conceived vengeance leads her to a loveless marriage that ends in tragedy. At twenty-four, she’s left a widow with a baby, a small fortune, and a ghost—make that two. Set in the turbulent Sixties and Seventies, Just One Look explores one woman’s tumultuous journey through grief, denial, and letting go.

Richly drawn characters

Just One Look by Joanne Kukanza Easley is a heartbreaking, character-driven tale that transports readers to 1960s and 1970s America, a time of protest, passion, and emotional turmoil. At its core is Dani Marek, a thirteen-year-old Chicago girl who falls hard and fast for John, the boy she knows she will marry. For six years, she dreams, plots, and creates a future in her hope chest—until John's death in Vietnam shatters her world. Dani embarks on a gritty and compelling journey through loss, wrath, and recklessness, seeking both solace and punishment in equal measure.
The novel's greatest merit is its honest portrayal of a young woman's inner life. Dani is flawed, fierce, and completely compelling. Her journey from wide-eyed romantic to grief-fueled avenger, and finally to a woman confronting the consequences of her choices, unfolds with clarity and emotional weight. Easley's style is fast-paced and engrossing, bringing readers into Dani's world with an intimacy that makes each tragedy and triumph real.
The audiobook format enriches the overall experience. The narrator is emotive but restrained, conveying Dani's highs and lows with an emotional rhythm that reflects the novel's themes of survival, loss, and resilience.
Just One Look is a truly enjoyable book (or listen) for people who enjoy well-drawn characters negotiating the complexities of life, loss, and, eventually, letting go. Easley captures not only a coming-of-age story, but also the voice and soul of a generation.