Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame, a Review by Susan

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If you are looking for a feel good read that has considerably more depth than a beach read, then this is the book for you. If you are over 60 like I am, this is most certainly the book for you. And to think, I came so close to not reading this book. I only had a few days to read it before the library took it back and it did not grab me at first, which I now understand was me and not the book (my attention span has suffered on account of surgery). At 25% in, I had already cried twice. If I had missed out on this heartwarming novel, I would have indeed missed out on something that I will carry with me for quite some time.  It is not every day that one can meet a protagonist and forge a deep connection, one that makes you regret by the end of the novel that she is a fictional character.

Our protagonist, Jenny Quinn, is a 77 year old housewife who loves to bake. Just be aware, this book WILL make you hungry because baked goods are referenced throughout. She is married to Bernard, an 83 year old man who adores his wife. They have been married longer than many people have been alive. Jenny applies to be on a baking show and to her surprise, she is chosen to compete. Jenny is torn between her desire to compete and do something for herself and her love for Bernard who is having serious health issues as a result of his advancing age. While in today’s society, Jenny’s dilemma may be something of an anachronism in that it is no longer the 1950’s and women do things besides take care of the house and their spouses, women still feel that pull between doing for themselves and doing for others.  Jenny also has a secret from her past that threatens to upset her life, especially since she has kept it from Bernard for all these years.

This was such a lovely book that made me think about life and what it means to grow old(er). It makes me think about relationships and how important they can be. It made me think about how women often put others ahead of ourselves in ways that we do not even thing about.  This book has made me think about so many things. It did so without becoming maudlin, although it definitely brought out all of the feels. The characters were so loveable and we were able to get to know them and spend time with them. This book will definitely make it into my top 10 of the year and may be one of the few that I reread. My only sadness is that this is the author’s only book and it did not include recipes!

If you are looking for something that makes you feel good without being overwhelmingly sad and gives you some hope for the future, no matter how old you are, give this book a try.