[.ca] Rise and Shine: A Novel (ISBN 0812977815)

Rise and Shine Shines Brilliantly!:
Anna Quindlen's latest novel Rise and Shine is a stunning masterpiece of emotional prose and brilliant insights into her protagonists and their lives. The story of two sisters, who are opposites in almost everything, including social status. This is what drew me to the book. Meghan Fitzmaurice, 'the most famous woman on television', made me think of Oprah, or at least of her impact on society. Although, I can't see the public's reaction being quite as harsh if Oprah let out a few irreverent comments about a guest or politician, not knowing her microphone was still on. When Meghan's derisive outburst lands her in hot water, her world comes crashing down and she must pay the price for her thoughtless actions. And while I found it and other events kind of comical at first, what happens later is anything but. Her husband dumps her after twenty-one years of marriage and a shamed Meghan goes into hiding, leaving everything and everyone behind. Meanwhile, her younger sister Bridget, a social worker at a women's shelter, searches for her, with help from her detective 'better half', Irving. As the relationship between the sisters is expanded upon, the characters become more frustrating, more poignant, more real. Other characters play their roles, intermingling with the sisters and leading to a story that weaves emotion with realism, and made me think of the movie Crash, where every life is entwined. Rise and Shine is a story of life, loss and redemption. There are certainly strong messages in Quindlen's novel--messages of love, family, commitment, perseverance and hope. Fresh, inspiring characters plus crisp dialogue equals first-rate entertainment! I highly recommend this book by the amazingly talented Anna Quindlen. It is the kind of read that goes just fine with a cup of hot chocolate, while curled up in front of a fireplace. With a box of Kleenex nearby. ~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of The River, Divine Intervention and Whale Song (2007 Kunati Inc. Book Publishers)

Superficial Satire Overwhelms a Story with an Unsatisfying Ending:
What is it like to be "the most famous woman in America?" What is it like to be her sister? What is it like to be her son? All of those questions make for an intriguing premise for a novel. Unfortunately Rise and Shine settles for developing the premise with all of the depth of a weekly picture magazine. Unless you have never read or thought about celebrities, little that happens will surprise or inform you. The ending is particularly grating in evading the potential for telling a compelling story. Where Ms. Quindlen (a stylish word slinger) goes wrong is in deciding that she wants to polish her premise with satire of the whole media business, our fascination with celebrities and the more claustrophobic elements of living on the top tier in Manhattan. The satire doesn't tell us anything we don't already know, fails to make us laugh or wince, and keeps the story from seeming like a serious attempt to develop the characters of the two sisters and the people in their lives. The story basically develops around the complementary relationships of Meghan Fitzmaurice, female host of a morning television show called Rise and Shine, who will remind many of Katie Couric, and her unmarried social worker sister, Bridget, who serves as mother stand-in for Meghan's son, Leo. Meghan is successful. Bridget is not. Meghan lives in the world of unreality and spin. Bridget lives in the gritty world of the housing projects. Their daily lives seldom overlap except for an occasional fund-raising appearance by Meghan to help Bridget's budget and when they happen to appear where Leo is. Into that static relationship a bombshell is thrown when Meghan finds herself no longer the apple of everyone's eye. Meghan retreats and Bridget tries to help pick up the pieces. As all of that occurs, other forces begin to move that derail both lives from their familiar tracks. In the long run, does it matter? You'll have to decide. I didn't find that the events mattered enough to make me happy I read the book. If the word craft weren't so strong, I would probably have graded this as a two star book.

Did Not Shine:
I read half way through this book and was so bored I left it for a month and just came back to it and skipped through it to the end. I love Anna Quindlen's writing but this was a real loser. The characters were boring and some of the names, Tequila, Prevacator, ridiculous!! The ending was hurried and by that time I really couldn't have cared less about any of them. Hope she does better next time.