A Window Opens

A Novel

By: Elisabeth Egan

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Fans of I Don't Know How She Does It and Where'd You Go, Bernadette will cheer at this "fresh, funny take on the age-old struggle to have it all" (People) and about what happens when a wife and mother of three leaps at the chance to fulfill her professional destiny - only to learn every opportunity comes at a price.

In A Window Opens, beloved books editor at Glamour magazine Elisabeth Egan brings us Alice Pearse, a compulsively honest, longing-to-have-it-all, sandwich generation heroine for our social media-obsessed, lean in (or opt out) age. Like her fictional forebears, Kate Reddy and Bridget Jones, Alice plays many roles (which she never refers to as "wearing many hats" and wishes you wouldn't, either). She is a mostly happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor, and a Zen commuter. She is not: a cook, a craftswoman, a decorator, an active PTA member, a natural caretaker, or the breadwinner. But when her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in - and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip, young startup that promises to be the future of reading, with its chain of chic literary lounges and dedication to beloved classics. The Holy Grail of working mothers - an intellectually satisfying job and a happy personal life - seems suddenly within reach.

Despite the disapproval of her best friend, who owns the local bookstore, Alice is proud of her new "balancing act" (which is more like a three-ring circus) until her dad gets sick, her marriage flounders, her babysitter gets fed up, her kids start to grow up, and her work takes an unexpected turn. Listeners will cheer as Alice realizes the question is not whether it's possible to have it all, but what does she - Alice Pearse - really want?

©2015 Elisabeth Egan. All rights reserved. (P)2015 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"A winning, heartfelt debut." ( Good Housekeeping)

Not riveting, sometimes tedious

This is a story detailing the generally mundane events in the life of Alice Pearse, typical to the lives of many working mothers juggling careers and motherhood. Of course there are some life changing events as well. The writing is decent but not great, and for me there were too many mundane details that did not advance the story. There really isn't that much plot, so it is more a story about the characters. Unfortunately, I didn't really bond with Alice as much as I would like, given that the story is told in first person. She had a bit of an attitude toward others that seemed harsh. So, not a bad listen, but I speeded up to 1.25X about 1/4 of the way through and kept it there. I guess it just wasn't particularly my cup of tea.

I wanted to love it....

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The general story was too perfect. Everything works out in the end and that is not realistic

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Blahhh. I was so happy for her but it was unbelievable

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Not do the male voices. At all. Had they even brought in an actual male it would have been better. It was distracting

Was A Window Opens worth the listening time?

Not really

excellent sympathetic read

Would you listen to A Window Opens again? Why?

yes, it was insightful and uplifting. real life issues, especially dealing with the death of a parent, being scared that your partner is losing it, having to make tough choices

Life

Love that this story is just about life. I could see it as a feel good movie

Fun read

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but would probably have it enjoyed it a bit less if all of the surroundings weren't so familiar to me as the fictional suburb of Filament is a real town in north jersey. He novel is well written and the plot moved well. It's touching and funny and all very familiar to life's realities for this of this generation. The end sagged a bit but overall a good read.

Wow!

Any additional comments?

I know know why there was so much talk about this book! It had such depth, compelling characters, heartbreak, love, and so much more!!! A multidimensional story that demands attention! 5 stars!

Amazing

This novel came at the best time. An amazing, insightful and entertaining read. I loved every minutes and highly recommend it.

Surprised that I love this book so!

If you could sum up A Window Opens in three words, what would they be?

Could be you. (Or me.) Which is more than three words. But not really. Parentheses don't count. Didn't you know? Shh...it's our secret.

What other book might you compare A Window Opens to and why?

This book fits really nicely into a bookshelf with Lauren Groff's "Fates and Furies," and the beautiful "Did You Ever Have a Family?" by Bill Clegg. Also the luminous "The Mare" by Mary Gaitskill, whih has many of the same dramatic elements--long-tme married couples struggling to figure out their place in the world. This bookshelf makes up an amazing rading list.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can never answer this question--books have too many of these. And one doesn't want to ruin the plot for someone else. Having said that, there was a moment in the book when the main character is talking about her kids getting older, and thinking she's about to enjoy a really liberating time in her life--only to have a parent get diagnosed with a terminal illness. This is exactly where I am in my life and it felt so personal, and deeply touhing to me to read about someone else going through it.There are a lot of funny moments in this book revolving around the company that book lover Alice goes to work for. It's sort of a "Google Meets Amazon Meets Apple Meets..." There are some very wry jabs at this culture, especially in terms of their company-speak, almost always in acronyms. I also love some of the funny exchanges between Alice and her kids, who use language in other humorous ways. All in all, just a very good use of a credit.

If you could take any character from A Window Opens out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would take main character Alice to dinner, one because she could use a night out, and two, because I would love to hear her talk about the books she loves.

Any additional comments?

This book sat in my library for months before I finally read it. I think the cover reminded me of another book I hadn't liked at all. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge.

I find myself thinking of this book not in a raving "Oh my God, I LOED this book" way. But rather in a very tender way. I loved this book. It touched me.By the way, I loved Julia Whelan's narration. Here, I AM raving. She doesn't have a big trunk full of different voices. She simply reads, in a beautiful voice, the story. Kind of the way you'd want someone to read to you if you were sick in bed and wanted a story. Five stars to her.

Moriarty lovers read on...

I found this title when searching for the next Liane Moriarty novel. In fact, her endorsement appears on the front cover. If you enjoy her work, and excellent narration, I am betting you will like "A Window Opens". While possessing fewer storylines with their inevitable crossing of paths, Ms. Whelan creates characters you care about and root for, plausible plot lines you can immediately identify with and find compelling. Her descriptions and quotes are notable and more than once I found myself stopping to write the down. Bravo, cannot wait for the next one!

Slow start but worth the "read".

The story had a bit of a slow start but it didn't take long to pick up speed. It was a pretty frank look at life and the relationships we all have. I'm glad I listened to the story. I was a little sad when ot was over...