Laura English by Lynn Arias Bornstein

While very simple to read, Laura English by Lynn Arias Bornstein is a very complex novel. The novel is about a woman who dreamed all her life of becoming an actress. While her dream does come true, other parts of her life are tragic. Laura English is definitely a story about a woman who is strong enough to keep pushing in the face of awful and unthinkable tragedies. 

While reading, it was very hard not to run to the computer. I wanted to see all the lovely places named by the author in the novel: Galilee, Cap d'Antibes, St. Tropez, Belvedere Island, the San Francisco skyline, etc. I still have a piece of music mentioned in the novel that I would like to hear. It is Profane Pilgrim by Joachim Muller. 

In other words the novel is very rich. The characters are wonderful. There are also true historical anecdotes:Vietnam war, Rasputin, John Kennedy along with all the people involved in that horrible situation like Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald. I had the chance to read about the Zionist movement and the PLO movement. Last but not least, the novel is also about friendship. It's about friends who stick with you through thick and thin. Laura English definitely had people who cared about her successful dreams and cared about her when life shattered like glass around her.

There is one time I didn't understand Laura English. It's hard to explain without giving a spoiler.  When Laura English grieves for the one man she truly loved, she seems rushed by the author to get through the mourning process. I thought surely Laura would be weakened with distress for weeks. While she grieves for the other man with all of her heart, but he wasn't her first love. She admits to loving him because he understood and believed in Laura English. I wanted to flip flop the grieving process. For one man it seemed too short and for another it seemed over worked. After all, she loved John Keith for forever. Never stopped loving him while David was a substitute or a handy help when she was in need. She seemed grateful to David rather than in love with him. I think she admits this in the novel.

This is a wonderful novel for any person trying to achieve a dream. Laura English is definitely a woman who knows how to remain focused on her one goal. I loved the novel. Will miss it now that it's finished. The ending shocked me. Did not see it coming. I will always remember Laura English/Jane Park/Parks. stillpointdigital.com/stillpoint-bookstore, 
NetGalley

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