Category: Women Publisher: First Page Publications
ISBN-10: 192862300X
Type: Fiction
Pages: 176
Copyright: 2004
The Boys' Club is a novel about a career woman redefining her values and reasserting her self esteem during unexpected challenges in her career and personal life.
Alex has created an ordered life. AS a single career woman in her mid-thirties, she has forgone a conventional lifestyle of marriage and motherhood to pursue a challenging consulting career. Promised a promotion into the highest rank at Barringer Consulting Group, her prospects look bright. And with her confidence high, Alex initiates a relationship with a long-admired coworker. He responds openly by inviting her into his personal life.
Subtly and slowly, changes and complexities threaten to chip away at the structure of Alex's life. A relentless barrage of truth forces her to come face-to-face with the sacrifices she has made. AS she struggles to help her mother heal from repressed grief and discovers the secret heartache of her closest friend, the hidden treasures of her own heart come to light. When even her prized career is placed in jeopardy, Alex must make a choice between secure acceptance and the risk of further loss as she struggles to hold onto all she has worked toward.
Excerpt
“Do you ever miss it?” Sue asked.
“What? Not having children?”
“Not having children, not being married.”
Alex snorted. “Sure! Actually, I thought about adopting a baby when I reached my thirties and knew there were no marriage prospects on the horizon. But then I realized it would be difficult to raise a child alone with my work schedule and little family support, so I dropped it. I think we’re wired to be mothers and to nurture a family. But, you know what? There are a lot of things out there that need nurturing. I nurture my clients, an occasional plant, and you’ve seen Einstein!”
Sue chuckled.
“It’s a matter of looking at your life and working with what you have,” Alex continued. “No one promised us as little girls that we’d all grow up to be wives and mommies some day. We just believed it was a given.”
Sue nodded in agreement and wiped her eyes. “Miracles can happen.”
“Yes. So, you’d better put these aside for safekeeping.” Alex stacked the children’s books and carried them and the rest of the baby items into the kitchen. She knew there were no good answers to give her friend who was still hanging onto the hope of motherhood. Thank God she had moved past that; past the grief and consternation, until finally giving in to the fact that she would never be someone’s mother. Oh, there was still some time left, but it was scant little. So she had desensitized herself to the urges within. She no longer felt the waves of longing pulse through her heart that sent her spiraling into depression every time she saw a baby. She accepted, almost relished, her independence now. Of course, a small part of her soul had not given up on finding a meaningful relationship with a man. Though close to death as well, a faint breath of yearning hung on. She almost wished it would die and let her live peacefully in her solitude.
A very contemporary and relevant concept that deserves the attention of many readers, women and men. The exploration of values, choices, and potential consequences in life is probably something most of us do too little of. The excerpt presented here is a fine balance of realistic inspired dialogue and interior reflections that make the reader feel as if he or she is reading about and discovering his or her own life. Thanks for the treat:-)
