Thursday, May 14, 2015

Elyssa Friedland

Elyssa Friedland graduated from Columbia University School of Law in 2007 and subsequently worked as an associate at a major firm.

Her debut novel is Love and Miss Communication.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Friedland's reply:
I just finished the astounding Room by Emma Donoghue. This is not an easy read. The book is written from the perspective of five-year-old Jack who is trapped along with his mother in the tiny room (hence the title) where he was born and is being held captive. As a mother of young children, the subject matter was grueling, but Donoghue’s immense story-telling and writing talent made the book impossible to put down. How she managed to capture the thoughts of a small child so accurately and in a way that adults could still find compelling is an inspiration to me as a writer. I had one major problem with the plot which I won’t give away for fear of spoiling the novel, but other than that, I have nothing but praise for the book and awe of the writer.

Before that I read Big, Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. This book was a lot of fun and really spoke to me as a mother of pre-school age children. The nursery school environment can be catty at times, but behind the light-hearted gossip there are some families going through real struggles. Moriarty nails this perfectly and her book is a perfect blend of humor and substance. That is something I tried to achieve in my novel so I will definitely be reading Moriarty’s other books (The Husband’s Secret and What Alice Forgot among others).
Visit Elyssa Friedland's website.

The Page 69 Test: Love and Miss Communication.

My Book, The Movie: Love and Miss Communication.

--Marshal Zeringue