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This was an easy, entertaining read about hunger and acquisition during the dot.com bubble of a little over a decade ago. There are possibly too many story lines going on concurrently: two sisters, a book collector, two innovative computer companies going pubic, several programmers, an exhausted med student, a Save the Trees group, mystical orthodox Jews, a grandmother helping her lesbian daughter fight for custody, and the 9/11 tragedy all woven into a single storyline set in Boston and San Francisco.
There were too many inaccuracies (one cannot order fish at The Greens restaurant for example) and too many implausible coincidences to give the book more than four stars. Still, I enjoyed reading it. I liked the tone and pace, and the sisters’ attempts at a supportive relationship.
It was interesting how the book highlighted questions regarding what is really important, as well as an examination of what we are duped into considering acceptable substitutes for our real needs. Do we read cookbooks, or do we actually cook? And you’ll like this novel better if you ignore any reference to Jane Austin on the cover!
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