My Salinger Year

Joanna Rakoff, smart, beautiful, 23 years old, finished with

grad school and making her way in NYC. The year is 1993. Dreaming of life as a writer, she finds her foot in the door of publishing at a prestigious Agency in Manhattan that has been around way longer than she, still hanging onto a few world famous authors (one of them none other than J.D. Salinger) and its old world ways -having to do with incessant smoking (indoors!) and martinis at lunch that last all day. Joanna begins as an assistant (No, Dad! Not a secretary!) to an extraordinary woman referred to as the "Boss". She lives with her socialist, intelligent, perhaps handsome boyfriend in a ramshackle apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. As Joanna finds out who she is and what she wants out of life, she builds an interesting cast of characters and experiences into her ordinary days, always hoping the writer in her will somehow make its way out. This light hearted, easy, delicious memoir is like reading your friends journal (with permission, of course!) Her year at the Agency, learning about life and love and hard work help Joanna grow into a woman and into a writer. Adored this read, which I could not put down as Joanna Rakoff shares her heart and humor with us. I cannot wait to go back and read her first novel, A Fortunate Age, and gladly await her future novels! Don't miss this delightful summer read, perfect for a day at the beach!