Happiness Sold Separately/Lolly Winston

This was a soap opera and not a very good one at that. I had trouble really sympathizing with the characters. Overall, they were melodramatic and the story was maudlin to begin with. There were times when Elinor seemed more interesting, like when she communed with the tree on her front lawn and spent time with her best friend and next-door neighbor. I'd categorize this as a light read for its writing style, but as I said, the subject matter was a downer.

From the Publisher:

Elinor Mackey has lived her life in perfect order: college, law school, marriage, successful corporate career. But suddenly her world is falling apart. In her late 30s, she's discovered that she and her podiatrist husband, Ted, can't have children. When Elinor withdraws from Ted into an interior world of heartbreak and anger, Ted begins an affair with Gina, the nutritionist at their gym--a young woman with an oddball son who adores Ted. Meanwhile, Elinor falls in love with the oak tree in her front yard, spreading out her sleeping bag to sleep under the stars. Gina's jealous ex-boyfriend--a charming alcoholic with a mean streak--becomes a dark presence as his passion turns to violence. Ted, who may be the only one who can help Gina and her son, suddenly finds himself in love with two women at the same time. In the tradition of Anne Tyler, John Cheever, and Tom Perotta, Winston's second novel looks beyond the manicured surface of suburbia to a world of loss, longing, lust, and betrayal.

Author Biography: LOLLY WINSTON lives in Los Gatos, California.