Any Woman’s Blues

BOOK CLUB EDITION From Library Leila Sand’s “blues” aren’t like those of any other. She’s a world-class artist, a 40-something beauty with a 20-something lover, a mother of irresistible twin daughters, and a loyal friend with an unwavering support network. She’s also a woman with a few addictions. In this latest novel, told as a roman a clef by Isadora Wing (of Jong’s earlier books), Jong takes on the in-vogue themes of addiction, codependency, and recovery. But in Leila’s journey from insanity to serenity, something doesn’t ring her blue’s simply aren’t blue enough. It’s as if our heroine just said “no” to addiction and then resumed her life with everything intact. This work begins with lots of promise, and the narrative is jazzed up with Jong’s trademark raucous exploits and on-the-mark observations; the running theme of duality also adds interest. The narrative slips, however, when Leila joins Alcoholics Anonymous and does not itself recover in time for Jong’s tidy finish. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/89. – Michele Lodge, New York Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.