Louise Shaffer

First and foremost, I think I've found a new author to adore. I lucked out in getting an advanced copy from LTER and I am now looking forward to purchasing her other previously published books.

The story opens introducing Carrie Manning, a 30 something lady who has a wonderful best friend and an amazing ex-fiance (though you immediately start to wonder why he's an ex). By the end of the story, her close circle of loved ones will expand. The tale goes from present day to flashbacks giving show more background on Carrie's great-grandmother, a first generation Italian immigrant. She has the backbone and strong spirit that the females in her family line all inherit. Then we learn a bit about her grandmother, who was a famous Broadway star who made no bones about being selfish and doing what she wanted. Finally, we learn (with Carrie) about her mother, who used to live in the spotlight and later decided to give everything she had- literally, money, time, love she should have given her daughter- to homeless and underprivileged people.

I loved the way the story unfolded. I was hooked in the beginning of the story when Carrie describes her first time in a theater because she wanted a sense for what her dad (genius Broadway writer) and grandmother's world was like. Shaffer captured the feel for live performances perfectly.

The only regret I have with this book is that I can't forgive Carrie's mother, Rose. Throughout the book there are themes of self-sacrifice versus self-serving, honesty and deception, but that strange loves can grow and develop through all of these contradictions. Her mother, I found, was too dishonest. The other selfish people owned their weakness and weren't necessarily apologetic for that in of itself, rather, they were apologetic for the hurt it caused. They showed honesty to others as well as themselves. Rose, however, was not only dishonest with others, she was even more dishonest with herself and I disliked that. I found redeeming qualities for most of the characters, but hers was one I just couldn't like. I suppose that's better, it makes the book seem more "real".

I enjoyed the pacing and writing style as well as the way the character development played out. You knew that with the book starting out with a devastated girl feeling like an orphan over the loss of her mother and that she had some series issues she had to deal with, there was no way everything could be wrapped up in a perfect bow. However, I do like happy endings, and this one was happy enough for me; most questions were answered and you could see where the future was going. show less

A multi-generational story of mothers and daughters, with a dash of Broadway theatre. As I write this review on Mother's Day, it seems appropriate to have heard a quote today, 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, you've become your mother after all.' Serendipity ably handles an engaging story of a daughter finally learning about where her mother came from and why she was raised in a spartan apartment from focusing on humanitarian work when she was also the daughter of a famous and successful show more Broadway musical writer. Also why she felt the need to cancel her own wedding and try oh so hard to just be friends with her hurt fiance. The 'oh so hard' exemplified well by the opening scene of mistaking deodorant for hairspray and calling him about it, at 3 am. Such is what happens when one's mother dies and leaves behind a mystery.

While there were a few flashbacks with a tinge of nostalgic cliche, overall I found the exploration of mother and daughter relationships interesting enough to stay up late at night once a page-turning stage was reached. Satisfying ending too. show less

I normally try to write and publish my reviews in the order in which I have read the books. In this case, I’m making an exception. I have been somewhat in a reading lull - reading casually, not voraciously like normal. Serendipity changed that. Once I got into this novel, I didn’t want to put it down. When I finished it, I almost immediately wanted to pick up my next novel at quarter to one in the morning. It is now quarter after 1 and I had to start this review. Needless to say, this show more novel was an energizing read for me.

Serendipity tells the story of four generations of Italian women, each one of them disenchanted with their lives and distant from their mothers. The novel begins with Carrie Manning, the daughter of Rose Manning, a NYC icon renowned for her philanthropy. Rose has just passed away, but her presence is no less present. Carrie can’t bare to let Rose down in death any more than she could in life. Rose was all about her charity work, living in a cramped 5th floor walk up apartment in a questionable neighborhood so that the fortune and royalties left by Bobby Manning could go into the homeless shelter run by the local archdiocese. Carrie grew up feeling like a fraud. She wanted more for her own life than giving it and all potential luxuries up because she was more blessed than other children. It’s not that Carrie was entirely selfish. What she really want is what Rose could have given her for free - her smile, her warmth, a desire to be close to her. Instead, Carrie had to go to strangers to put the pieces of her mother’s life together along with those of her grandmother Lu and great-grandmother Mifalda.

What made this novel was the women. They were all charming in their flaws. There were so very human. There was a scene, a thought, or a feeling associated with each of these women that felt just a little (sometimes a little too much) like me. This was especially true with Carrie. I know very well what it is like to grow up with a good Catholic mother when you are not a good girl (and neither Carrie nor I are that bad really). My mother is a wonderful, loving woman. I am blessed to call her Mom. She is in my eyes the stereotypical good Catholic girl. I’ve always tried to get some dirt on her from her siblings and close friends. Those dust bunnies are pretty darn microscopic. The most I ever got was that she and a friend used to argue over who had the meanest mother. This gives me nothing to work with. I am a pleaser by nature and she is the last person in the world I want to disappoint. I am 37 and live 700 miles away, but that doesn’t matter. I didn’t need a Broadway background to understand how Carrie internalized and magnified her own faults when they were held up against her selfless and seemingly perfect mother.

I truly enjoyed Serendipity. I enjoyed the way that Carrie’s visits with those who knew and loved her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were intertwined with Mifalda, Lu, and Rose’s stories. Despite the fact that those telling Carrie these stories could not have known the private details and inner thoughts of those women, it didn’t bother me in the least that the story was told in this way. It was almost as if that woman was reaching out to the reader to explain what was never shared between mother and daughter. The ending brought a tear to my eye and made me glad to be both a mother and a daughter. Louise Shaffer weaved an interesting history through the relationships of three mothers and four daughters. While Serendipity may not change the world, it kept me up until nearly 2am to finish the review. That puts it in a category all to itself.

http://literatehousewife.com/2009/03/146-serendipity/ show less

This is a beautiful novel exploring mother-daughter relationships, and particularly the way mothers unintentionally affect the personalities and decisions of their daughters. Each woman's story is utterly believable, lending an extra poignancy to the difficulties they face. While I disliked every one of the characters at least at some point, exploring what led them to behave as they did made this a fascinating and absorbing read.