Book Review Blurb: The Editor by Steven Rowley

This was a lovely story about family and the challenges of being true to yourself while also being true to the people who love you… It was sweet and thoughtful and brought a tear to my eye more than once.

Like so many, I’m oddly captivated by the thought of Jackie O as a combination literary persona and cultural icon; there is a weird cognitive dissonance at the thought of her going into an office and making coffee and then going home and living the fabulous life of a Bouvier sister (to paraphrase a FANTASTIC biography that I recently read about her and her sister Lee Radziwell). It’s a beguiling duality that is surprisingly compelling and makes for a fascinating backdrop to what would otherwise have been a relatively ordinary story about an author’s first book and the secrets that underpin his life. I found the back and forth between James’ “regular” life and Jackie’s “decidedly not-so” to be delightful and add a layer of depth to the insights that James reaches with regard to his own mother. It was a clever construct that was executed with love and compassion and a deliciously snarky undertone and Rowley deserves accolades for it!

Thanks to Penguin First to Read for my review copy.