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Book Review
For those who think that "it's great to be wise and sage and mellow," she can only ask, "Don't they have necks?" She says that all her friends wear turtleneck sweaters or scarves or mandarin collars. "We all look good for our age. Except for our necks." Ephron goes on to discuss the problems of purses, parenting, and rapture. She is burdened by the disorganization of her purse and the need for an accessory to match the rest of her outfit. Unlike some of her other problems (like her neck), she solves this one by buying a bag at Grand Central Station. It matches nothing, is unattractive, and indestructible, and she loves it. After telling about her adventures with cookbooks over the years, she goes on to "Maintenance." That's maintenance of her appearance - hair, nails, skin. If you're wondering why in the world anyone would want to read about such, that may be because you haven't encountered Ephron's wit. She can laugh at herself and her foibles, and make us care even about her maintenance. Another topic that turns out to be fun is the story of her apartment in New York, but maybe best of all (once we get past that neck) is her remark that "I am probably the only young woman who ever worked in the Kennedy White House that the president did not make a pass at." That's in the chapter about her time as an intern. And that brings us to her remarks about Clinton (whom she did not know or work for). (However, she says she loved him.) No, best of all is the chapter, "What I Wish I'd Known." A sample: "The plane is not going to crash." "At the age of 55 you will get a saggy roll just above your waist even if you are painfully thin." "There's no point in making piecrust from scratch."
Oh, read it for yourself. It's available at the Mary Willis Library.
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