I'd be sitting behind the issue desk in my cardigan, swiping library cards, and imagining that the swiping action made each customer in front of me explode. In fact, yes, that's the most likely option. Or perhaps I might have ended up as an embittered, passive-aggressive librarian. But (more likely), I'd still be teaching English as a Foreign Language somewhere. JH: I'd have been a supermodel or a porn star. JG: What would you be doing if you weren't a writer? I'm actually still amazed that I finished it and that I seem to have got away with it. This was difficult to achieve and, at times, I just didn't feel capable of it. There was a sort of balancing act or magic trick that had to be accomplished. I can't say too much here about the story, because there is a mystery at the heart of this book and I don't want to spoil anything for potential readers, but there are certain elements of the narrative that made it a technically complicated book to write.  I suppose the most surprising thing about this novel is that I ever managed to finish it. And so I began to work on a different kind of story, one that, ultimately, became more of a psychological mystery than a character study of a female artist. Befriending the Gillespie family, Harriet soon. I realised that there was no reason why this crime, (which happened in about 2004), couldn't have taken place over a century earlier. In 1888, young, art-loving Harriet Baxter arrives in Glasgow at the time of the International Exhibition. The crime was so bizarre, and involved such incomprehensible cruelty, that it haunted me. The piece in the newspaper was very short and gave only the most tantalising details about the case, which concerned a family, their daughter and a neighbour. The article gave the details of a court case that had just taken place in a seaside town in Britain. However, very soon after I began researching this idea, I came across an article in a newspaper.  Originally, I had thought that the novel might feature a female painter and her struggles to be accepted as a serious artist alongside her male contemporaries. Jane Harris: I had known for a long time that I wanted to write something about an artist in Glasgow at the end of the 19th century. Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book?

Gillespie and i by jane harris

It’s called The Lonely Hearts Club,” Rita chimed in. So what if they call her “Penny Lane” in public? They’re still great parents.Ī teeny example - following Penny’s disclosure that she’s in a club: Mom and Dad are quirky and hip, occasionally embarrassing, but also unabashedly pro-independence and nonconformity in their daughters - so, for example, it’s no surprise that they take Penny’s side against the principal who tries to crush the club. Penny’s full name is Penny Lane Bloom, and her older sisters are Rita (Lovely Rita) and Lucy (in sky with diamonds…). One great little tidbit that you don’t get from the synopsis: Penny’s parents are Beatles fanatics. It’s really about balance, and the takeaway here seems to be that girls have the right to expect to be treated with respect, to decide whether they want a relationship or to go it alone, to pursue what makes them happy and not just what makes them popular. It isn’t preachy, though: No one here is saying that boys are bad, or that feeling pretty and popular is shallow, or that strong girls should never flirt or care about dating. Penny and her small circle rediscover the value of having friends to rely on, friends who put their friends first and don’t dump them the second a boy comes calling (or texting). Suddenly, the girls at school begin to realize that being with a boy who treats you badly is not actually better than not having a boyfriend at all. She’s not looking to start a movement, but by taking a stand for herself, she sets the stage for a lot of soul-searching. Penny isn’t a revolutionary, though - she’s just a girl who’s been dumped on and duped by one too many jerky boys. Her female characters tend to question the norm and make their own way. When I happened to stumble across her debut, The Lonely Hearts Club, at the library this week, I thought I’d give it a try.Įlizabeth Eulberg excels at portraying the ups and downs of the high school pecking order. I’ve read and completely enjoyed Elizabeth Eulberg’s two most recent books, Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality and Better Off Friends. which is too bad, because there’s this certain boy she can’t help but like.  Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways.  A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt.  It’s a personal choice.and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. Love is all you need… or is it? Penny’s about to find out in this wonderful debut. “Take a Peek” book reviews are short and (possibly) sweet, keeping the commentary brief and providing a little peek at what the book’s about and what I thought.

Things have gotten worse since we last spoke paperback