Curtis Sittenfeld's first novel, "Foreplay," was critically acclaimed and chosen by the New York Times as one of the best books of 2005. In it, the author brilliantly dissects the issues of class, race, and gender that permeate the ambitions and anxieties of adolescents. In "The Man of My Dreams," she leaves the world of exclusive boarding schools and navigates the difficult process of a woman's maturation. She chooses as her narrator a young woman with a dysfunctional family and a visceral need for affection. In the summer of 1991, Hannah Gavener is 14 years old. A shrewd observer of her surroundings, but always feeling like an outcast, she sucks glamour from the pages of celebrity magazines. She lives a fantasy life, filled with cinematic weddings and dream homes. But her reality is far from it. Her parents are about to separate, and this breakup will leave deep scars. Somewhere between these two extremes, perhaps, lie the answers to the most complicated questions of love. Curtis has a rare talent for transforming flaws into vulnerability and his characters into people the reader can easily relate to. And it's rooting for Hanna that we follow her for nearly 15 years, from 1991 to 2005. She moves between Philadelphia, Boston, and then Albuquerque. Her search for love, her friendships, and her attempts to reconcile with her father, all while seeking to assert herself beyond her mercurial personality. At 30, Hannah finally deciphers her desires, but she still doesn't know if she'll have the courage to pursue what she wants. THE MAN OF MY DREAMS is a beautiful and disturbing insight into human relationships. With a humor that blends sensitivity and a strong critique of customs, it offers a good-natured analysis of women's choices at the turn of the century. And it celebrates the balance between love, family, fantasy, and one's own ambitions.
