by Warren Adler

Kensington Books, August, 2001.
Hardcover, 352 pages.
ISBN: 157566898X

Things don't look so good for divorced single mother Grace Sorentino. Recently fired from her low-paying job at Saks, she is desperate to make enough money to support her and her rebellious 16-year old daughter Jackie. When she's finally run out of options, she decides on a scheme to achieve her goals: she throws feminism out the window and sets out to snare a wealthy Jewish widower (Jewish men make the best husbands). Stalking funerals to find a vulnerable male, and employing some bizarre (and truly hilarious) subterfuges, Jackie finally meets the man of her (avaricious) dreams: Sam. Sam is mourning the death of his seemingly sainted wife, and the two quickly become attracted to one another. But Grace hasn't counted on two things: her actually falling in love with her mark, and the depths of her daughter Jackie's obsession with her neo-Nazi boyfriend. Soon, Grace is up to her perfectly coifed hair in lies and deception, and her out of control daughter may blow the whole deal.

Mourning Glory is a sexy, darkly funny and witty novel about one woman's search for what's really important in life. Adler merrily skewers the pretensions of the ultra-wealthy Palm Beach society set and America's obsession with material possessions, while offering up a poignant and moving portrait of a quiet underclass of women: those who are upwardly mobile in age and downwardly mobile in income. Grace is a compelling heroine who struggles to maintain her principles and her dignity when her world is falling apart all around her. Grace's daughter, Jackie, a borderline sociopath, is enough to make any parent cringe. And Sam, the widower who has a few secrets himself, is realistically and appealingly drawn. This is an immensely enjoyable novel full of humor, wit and real heart.

Mourning Glory is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the August, 2001 of The Internet Writing Journal.

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