Rise and Shine

Rise and Shine, by Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen's fifth novel, Rise and Shine, is her best book to date. Using her wry social commentaries which make her magazine and newspaper columns so wonderful, she weaves a story of family and the fleeting nature of fame. Bridget Fitzmaurice is the narrator of the story. She is a social worker in the Bronx and the sister of the most famous woman in America," Megan Fitzmaurice, the host of the preeminent morning show, Rise and Shine. Bridget is the practical, grounded sister who is a second mother to Meghan's son, Leo. Meghan is the media darling who falls from grace after uttering an expletive during the conclusion of an interview when she thought her microphone was off. Bridget is the tether who keeps Meghan grounded while she tries to redeem her image and find out who she has been all her life. The sisters were orphaned at a young age and raised by a loving aunt who taught them to rely on themselves and each other. In dealing with the family and personal complications, both Meghan and Bridget find their way back to each other and to the family they have created. If you've been disappointed in some of Anna Quindlen's previous novels, give this one a try, you won't be disappointed.
-Kathy C.