Piece of Work by Laura Zigman

Piece of Work
by Laura Zigman
Pub. Date: September 2006
Genre: Fiction
304pp

Synopsis from BN.com:
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Why I Picked It:
Thanks to the Barnes & Noble gift card my In-Laws gave me for Christmas, I did a little online shopping in the bargain book section. Since I'm not really supposed to be buying books (thank goodness my husband doesn't read this blog - at least that I know of...), I was rationalizing my purchase by buying books that cost less than $5. Anyway, this one sounded familiar - not in the sense that I had heard of it, but instead, that I have been living it. Julia Einstein, a stay-at-home mom to 3-year-old Leo was formerly a celebrity publicist. Interestingly enough, she found the job description was much the same: "endless, irrational demands, little to no appreciation, and constant hustle." Sounds just like my own experience.

My Review:
I was right. I was relating to the main character from page one with her own domestic un-goddessness and her completely relatable love for her son, enjoying every moment with him. I even found myself enheartened as Julia is relating the loneliness of being a stay-at-home mom and how hurt she is by the "three bitches" at the park who hate her even though she's never even spoken to them. Sadly, her stay-at-home days are cut short when when her husband Peter, is laid off from his job and she is forced to switch roles with him and go back to another publicity job. From there, the book is a little typical of recent chick-lit (think The Devil Wears Prada) as she is forced into a less than comparable job to where she used to work, and instead of promoting top celebrities, she is now recreating "has beens". And what a b!&$h of a client does she get stuck with!! While she is off in the trenches, I completely experienced Julia's sadness, longing and jealousy as her husband absolutely triumphs in the homemaker capacity.

Where she was unable to keep the house organized, plan and cook dinner on a daily basis... "Julia Einstein... was standing in the kitchen, trying to figure out what she was going to make for dinner that would require the least amount of time and energy. She hated thinking about dinner: what they should have, what they shouldn't have, what kind of takeout she could get that she could disguise as homemade, what excuse she would give Peter when he got home to explain why, yet again, it was six-thirty and she was still staring into the refrigerator without a clue." I think Laura Zigman must be following me!!!

So even more heart-wrenching when her husband puts to use the skills of previous position (professional organizational analyzer) and reorganizes and cleans the house until it's sparkling, details their schedules on a magnetic board, and has dinner on the table complete with a drink in hand for her when she walks through the door! (Hmmm, where can I get one of those!! Just to make me look good!) But, wow, talk about showing her up!

But where she may have been a bit scheduling and organizationally-challenged at home, she's intuitive, upfront, politically correct, and resourceful on the job - not to mention having a wicked sense of humor! I don't want to get too much into the juicy plot lines so at to give something away. Unlike my last read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And it reminds me of how I don't ever want to go back into the work force, well, at least not for a long, long time. A fun read.