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

Read the carbon-based book

Would you try another book from Elisabeth Egan and/or Julia Whelan?

Elisabeth Egan is delightful and I would read her again. Julia Whelan's narration was distracting and I wish I had read it on paper instead of listening to the audiobook.

Would you recommend A Window Opens to your friends? Why or why not?

Although Alice is relatable, I didn't find any deeper meaning in the story that would inspire me to recommend it to friends.

How could the performance have been better?

The male and child voices were overdone and I felt that the narrator's tone was changing the meaning of the dialog for me. The husband's voice was particularly bad, making him sound like a whiny elderly man instead of the young, energetic husband and father he was. The other characters weren't much better.

Did A Window Opens inspire you to do anything?

I'm going to put more stock in the Audible reviews that warn me about a bad narration!

Real and tender - a great read

Well written and engaging. We've all been there plot. Equal parts giggle and depth. Captures losing a parent well. I recommend this book.

good story and pace

having read a few duds lately, this was a refreshing change...enjoyed the story and pace

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.