Lucinella by Lore Segal

I picked up this Melville House edition at the Strand during a long search for a book for my mother for Christmas. I wanted a gift for myself for the three-day trip to Philly and I knew that the one novel I had already picked out wasn’t going to last long once the train ride(s) started.

Despite my love of the publisher’s curated collection of old-timey novellas and intriguing looking new ones, I was a bit worried about my choice. Lucinella is about a writer writing, a topic that seems to produce cold, nasty little books that have may superficial delights (especially is you hang with a lot of artists), but that often lack the heart that tends to endear me to books. Luckily, this book is fun, funny and engagingly loose in its plotting. The characterizations are dead-on and I loved the main character in all her iterations—though the story becomes increasingly fantastic, Lucinella is always a strong anchor.

I am looking forward to reading more of Segal’s adult work, especially if it is as smart and upbeat as this.