Babes in Captivity

The cover art for this novel caught my attention when I went browsing for a novel to dive into while on holidays (how could you help but notice this book on the bookstore shelves?!!!), but once I finished reading the first few pages, I was hooked. Pamela Redmond Satran has written a terrific novel that tackles such themes as the ebb and flow of passion in marriage, the importance of chasing after your dreams, and the power of female friendships to sustain women during those times when your life seem to be spiraling out of control. Pamela Redmond Satran has a gift for creating great characters who really help to drive the story forward. It was her characters who kept me reading well into the night when I really should have been sleeping. I simply couldn't put this book down.

The characters in this book seems like real women to me, dealing with real problems. Infertility, divorce, cancer, the wish for a career or the drive for more closeness with children or husbands -- talking about, laughing over, struggling with these issues seems to me to be anything but whining. I really loved this book, was entertained and enlightened by it, and am recommending it to all my friends. The writing is lovely, the scenes vivid and engaging, the message an important one for all women. Read it!

The four Homewood, New Jersey women are best friends living the American dream of raising a family in suburbia. They meet regularly to share their disasters (child or spousal related), but for the most part they seem contented with their lives. The contented illusion ends when Deirdre informs her cell mates that she hates her nice spouse Paul. She explains to her amused pals, who think Paul is the poster boy for the perfect husband that she wants to restart her singing career with her former Berkley lover. Nick "Mr. Sexy" Ruby who has relocated fifteen miles to the east in New York. Finally she laments that she has had no passionate orgasms since Ruby. Her confessions lead to two of the others moaning their desires. Juliette wants another child, but her husband Cooper hesitates since their son Trey suffers from Asperger's syndrome. Anne wonders if she should leave her philandering spouse filmmaker Damien. Supermom of four, Lisa refuses to reveal to her buddies or her too busy husband Tommy her desire to write a book for fear they will laugh at her "How to Live" tome. This is an interesting look at family life in suburbia starring four wonderful women, who share fears, disappointments, and dreams with one another that they find difficult to disclose to their spouses. The story line rotates the lead role between the four women using alternating chapters so that fans receive four subplots that tie together through their friendship. BABES IN CAPTIVITY is not a lighthearted chick lit romp, but instead is a fabulously deep character study that compassionately captures the ambivalence and conflict of motherhood and marriage vs. personal dreams. Harriet Klausner

Reading this book is like spending time with a group of friends who are smart, funny, and determined to figure out how to get what they want from life. They've been focused on their roles as wives and mothers, but suddenly they reconnect, through their friendship, to something they'd left behind in their "babe" days: desire. Their stories will make you laugh a lot, cry a bit, and will encourage you to think differently about your own life. A great read to share with your book group, mom's group, or your best friend.

This book caught my interest right away and kept it going all the way to the end. I laughed, I cried (twice!), and best of all, I couldn't stop reading. I'm sending copies to my mom, my sister, and my three best girlfriends!