Saturn's Return to New York
The protagonist of Gran's first novel is a young Manhattanite  who works in publishing, dodges ex-boyfriends at parties,  practices yoga and smokes the occasional cigarette. While this  may suggest a certain urban singleton on the other side of the  Atlantic, Gran, herself a New Yorker, offers instead a character  who is not in search of the perfect man. Mary Forrest is finally  coming of age. She lost her father when she was a young girl,  and now that she's an adult, is making a conscientious effort to  forge a better relationship with her mother, Evelyn, the aging  founder of a prestigious literary magazine. For her 29th  birthday, Mary's friend Chloe gives her a session with an  astrologer, who tells her that when she reaches age 29, the  planet Saturn returns to the same spot it was in when she was  born, so it is now that she really becomes an adult. What this  means for Mary is learning to love her job at Intelligentsia, an  online bookseller, and to enjoy Evelyn's company. But she comes  up against some resistance: at work, an obviously nutty  colleague tries openly to steal Mary's job; on the family front,  Evelyn is beginning to lose her memory and her mind. Gran has  crafted an almost unbelievably strong character in Mary; her  optimism and sturdy staying power are admirable. Although many  of the book's New York publishing scenes may alienate readers  who don't frequent the same circles, Gran has written a smart,  discerning story that will appeal to readers seeking to break  out of Bridget Jones tedium. (Sept.)Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.