Don't Forget to Smile

I have read this book several times and always discover something new in it. For example, it gave me a better understanding of people who live away from cities and are blue collar and why they might vote for Trump. Seidel is a terrific writer and has a deep understanding of people and of America.

This is a great book. Seidel is always a favorite of mine. She write terrific prose but it is the insight that she has into people's motivations and actions that is almost always right on. It really helps me understand people in my own life. This book, which is one of her best, helps me to understand the people (the good people) who voted for Trump in a way that a newspaper article cannot. I've reread this book at least twice and I never fail to enjoy it and learn something new. Even though it was written in 1986 and some things are dated (no cell phones and computers) it is still as fresh and relevant today.

Seidel's excellent in-depth characterizations, insider detail about her characters' jobs, and use of humor make this tale of a former beauty queen trying to remake herself post-pageants and an up through the ranks union rep one of my favorite rereads. This author, as usual, just sucks the reader into the story.