Up & Out

December 15, 2003
Rebecca Cole thought she was on track. As the creator and producer of the children's television show " Esme's Enlightenments," she was following her dream and plotting new adventures for her beloved character, a 12-year-old girl with spunk and sass. Enter Indiana Mutual, the bank that buys out the television company. Worse yet is Delores, a pint-size boss from hell who micromanages and wrests creative control over " Esme" from Rebecca, then fires her. Her roommate and best friend, Lauryn, has taken off for Martha's Vineyard, so Rebecca has no choice but to give up their expensive apartment and move back in with her ex-boyfriend, with whom she still occasionally sleeps. She tries to move on, but the most promising candidate turns out to be a cad. To make matters even worse, Rebecca and her three best friends are drifting apart. Papa's entertaining second novel is ideal reading for women in their twenties and thirties who are still struggling to find their niches in life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)