In A Window Opens, we meet Alice Pearce, who has a pretty great life. She has a loving husband, great kids, her parents live nearby, and she works part-time as a book page editor for a magazine. When her family’s financial situation takes a drastic turn, Alice decides she needs to step up to the plate and contribute more. Like many women find, this comes at a cost. She learns that she cannot be everything to everyone all at once and that it's difficult to shut one thing off so she can give attention to another. Alice sometimes feels that she has no choices, but finally comes to the realization that she can ask for help and that things will work out.
I found this book to be relatable in that women are so often judged by how much (or how little) we work. I think many women will see themselves in Alice’s character and feel better learning that she doesn’t like to cook. I also found some of the references to current authors and fiction to be entertaining. Lastly, I thought the subject of social media in the story was very interesting. After recently reading The Knockoff and getting the impression that anyone over 40 is not supposed to have a clue about social media, I was happy to see how Alice used social media to interact with her father, and that while she wasn’t a whiz at it, she did quite well in her job with it. I recommend this book to moms who need a little time to themselves - they might realize that things aren’t so bad after all. - Rosanna (Downtown)