Reviews
"A Life in Men is a terrific book, a tender story of friendship, and a frank story of a young woman's adventures with an assortment of oddly funny, violent, and quirky men. It's intense and beautifully written." --Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife "Ambitious in breadth and scope, this work will appeal to fans of Barbara Kingsolver and those who like being immersed in foreign settings." --Library Journal "Mary's . . . storyline masterfully plays out to its conclusion . . . [The] novel packs an emotional punch throughout, particularly in its final third." --Publishers Weekly "A joyful, ambitious novel that is also an adventure traversing three continents, a meditation on love, sex, and, most important, friendship, which can overcome time, distance, and even death." --Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Once Upon a River "Gina Frangello's luminous novel is deeply human, darkly funny, seriously sexy; it brims with artistry and intelligence and heart . . . Frangello illuminates the ways in which life itself is an illusion, but a grand and beautiful and heartbreaking and brilliant one." --Emily Rapp, author of The Still Point of the Turning World "An epic tour de force capturing a woman's entire life amid a world torn apart by terrorism and alienation, and ultimately, it is an exploration of what individual fulfillment means in such a world, and how grief, identity, sexuality, and responsibility intersect." --Patrick Somerville, author of This Bright River "Frangello delivers truth in the form of brave, purposeful, masterful prose." --Elizabeth Crane, author of We Only Know So Much, "A Life in Men is a terrific book, a tender story of friendship, and a frank story of a young woman's adventures with an assortment of oddly funny, violent, and quirky men. It's intense and beautifully written." --Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife "Original and fearless . . . A powerful portrait of human connection and individual triumph." --People, 3.5 stars out of 4 "Ambitious, heartfelt." --Nylon "A beautifully written, fiercely intelligent, and psychologically nuanced portrayal of a friendship cut tragically short, the delicate balance of fate and choice, and the many varieties of love and family that create meaning . . . A Life in Men is a sort of joyous call to action. It will make you look more carefully at the time you have left." --The Oregonian "Frangello's powerful novel is ambitious, relentless, and entirely unsentimental . . . A work of art." --The Boston Globe "Frangello writes with a clarity into the human condition that allows her to lay bare the countless ways our lives are connected, between us and other people, but more importantly between ourselves and who we were and who we're becoming . . . The book's heartbreaking conclusion will leave you feeling you've been on the journey with these characters, and all the better for it." --The Kansas City Star "Frangello writes with epic ferocity. She inhabits many countries brilliantly, many characters seamlessly, and a carousel of points of view . . . It takes courage to write a book like this." --Chicago Tribune, Printers Row "A joyful, ambitious novel that is also an adventure traversing three continents, a meditation on love, sex, and, most important, friendship, which can overcome time, distance, and even death." --Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Once Upon a River "A stunning novel--Frangello's broken characters live in a world of terror and redemption, of magnificent sadness and beauty." --Kirkus Reviews "In this bravura performance, a quantum creative leap . . . Frangello astutely dissects the quandaries of female sexuality, adoption, terminal illness, and compound heartbreak in a torrent of tough-minded observations, audacious candor, and storytelling moxie." --Booklist, "A Life in Men is a terrific book, a tender story of friendship, and a frank story of a young woman's adventures with an assortment of oddly funny, violent, and quirky men. It's intense and beautifully written." --Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife "Ambitious in breadth and scope, this work will appeal to fans of Barbara Kingsolver and those who like being immersed in foreign settings." --Library Journal "Mary's . . . storyline masterfully plays out to its conclusion . . . [The] novel packs an emotional punch throughout, particularly in its final third." --Publishers Weekly "A joyful, ambitious novel that is also an adventure traversing three continents, a meditation on love, sex, and, most important, friendship, which can overcome time, distance, and even death." --Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Once Upon a River "A stunning novel--Frangello's broken characters live in a world of terror and redemption, of magnificent sadness and beauty." --Kirkus Reviews "In this bravura performance, a quantum creative leap . . . Frangello astutely dissects the quandaries of female sexuality, adoption, terminal illness, and compound heartbreak in a torrent of tough-minded observations, audacious candor, and storytelling moxie." --Booklist "Gina Frangello's luminous novel is deeply human, darkly funny, seriously sexy; it brims with artistry and intelligence and heart . . . Frangello illuminates the ways in which life itself is an illusion, but a grand and beautiful and heartbreaking and brilliant one." --Emily Rapp, author of The Still Point of the Turning World "A Life in Men is a vivid, devastating, and ferocious novel that captures a woman's whole life in world torn apart by terrorism and alienation . . . A story of love, passion, and friendship that will rock readers to the core." --Patrick Somerville, author of The Cradle and This Bright River "Frangello delivers truth in the form of brave, purposeful, masterful prose." --Elizabeth Crane, author of We Only Know So Much, "Mary's . . . storyline masterfully plays out to its conclusion . . . [the] novel packs an emotional punch throughout, particularly in its final third." --Publishers Weekly "A Life in Men is a terrific book, a tender story of friendship, and a frank story of a young woman's adventures with an assortment of oddly funny, violent, and quirky men. It's intense and beautifully written." --Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife "A joyful, ambitious novel that is also an adventure traversing three continents, a meditation on love, sex, and, most important, friendship, which can overcome time, distance, and even death." --Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Once Upon a River "Gina Frangello's luminous novel is deeply human, darkly funny, seriously sexy; it brims with artistry and intelligence and heart . . . Frangello illuminates the ways in which life itself is an illusion, but a grand and beautiful and heartbreaking and brilliant one." --Emily Rapp, author of The Still Point of the Turning World "An epic tour de force capturing a woman's entire life amid a world torn apart by terrorism and alienation, and ultimately, it is an exploration of what individual fulfillment means in such a world, and how grief, identity, sexuality, and responsibility intersect." --Patrick Somerville, author of This Bright River "Frangello delivers truth in the form of brave, purposeful, masterful prose." --Elizabeth Crane, author of We Only Know So Much, 'oeA Life in Men is a terrific book, a tender story of friendship, and a frank story of a young woman's adventures with an assortment of oddly funny, violent, and quirky men. It's intense and beautifully written.' '"Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife 'oeOriginal and fearless . . . A powerful portrait of human connection and individual triumph.' '"People, 3.5 stars out of 4 'oeAmbitious, heartfelt." '"Nylon 'oeA beautifully written, fiercely intelligent, and psychologically nuanced portrayal of a friendship cut tragically short, the delicate balance of fate and choice, and the many varieties of love and family that create meaning . . . A Life in Men is a sort of joyous call to action. It will make you look more carefully at the time you have left.' '"The Oregonian 'oeFrangello's powerful novel is ambitious, relentless, and entirely unsentimental . . . A work of art.' '"The Boston Globe 'oeFrangello writes with a clarity into the human condition that allows her to lay bare the countless ways our lives are connected, between us and other people, but more importantly between ourselves and who we were and who we're becoming . . . The book's heartbreaking conclusion will leave you feeling you've been on the journey with these characters, and all the better for it.' '"The Kansas City Star 'oeFrangello writes with epic ferocity. She inhabits many countries brilliantly, many characters seamlessly, and a carousel of points of view . . . It takes courage to write a book like this.' '"Chicago Tribune, Printers Row 'oeA joyful, ambitious novel that is also an adventure traversing three continents, a meditation on love, sex, and, most important, friendship, which can overcome time, distance, and even death.' '"Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Once Upon a River 'oeA stunning novel--Frangello's broken characters live in a world of terror and redemption, of magnificent sadness and beauty.' '"Kirkus Reviews 'oeIn this bravura performance, a quantum creative leap . . . Frangello astutely dissects the quandaries of female sexuality, adoption, terminal illness, and compound heartbreak in a torrent of tough-minded observations, audacious candor, and storytelling moxie.' '"Booklist, "A Life in Men is a terrific book, a tender story of friendship, and a frank story of a young woman's adventures with an assortment of oddly funny, violent, and quirky men. It's intense and beautifully written." --Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife "Original and fearless . . . A powerful portrait of human connection and individual triumph." --People, 3.5 stars out of 4 "Ambitious, heartfelt." --Nylon "A beautifully written, fiercely intelligent, and psychologically nuanced portrayal of a friendship cut tragically short, the delicate balance of fate and choice, and the many varieties of love and family that create meaning . . . A Life in Men is a sort of joyous call to action. It will make you look more carefully at the time you have left." --The Oregonian "Frangello writes with a clarity into the human condition that allows her to lay bare the countless ways our lives are connected, between us and other people, but more importantly between ourselves and who we were and who we're becoming...The book's heartbreaking conclusion will leave you feeling you've been on the journey with these characters, and all the better for it." --The Kansas City Star "Frangello writes with epic ferocity. She inhabits many countries brilliantly, many characters seamlessly, and a carousel of points of view...It takes courage to write a book like this." --Chicago Tribune, Printers Row "A joyful, ambitious novel that is also an adventure traversing three continents, a meditation on love, sex, and, most important, friendship, which can overcome time, distance, and even death." --Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Once Upon a River "A stunning novel--Frangello's broken characters live in a world of terror and redemption, of magnificent sadness and beauty." --Kirkus Reviews "In this bravura performance, a quantum creative leap . . . Frangello astutely dissects the quandaries of female sexuality, adoption, terminal illness, and compound heartbreak in a torrent of tough-minded observations, audacious candor, and storytelling moxie." --Booklist "Gina Frangello's luminous novel is deeply human, darkly funny, seriously sexy; it brims with artistry and intelligence and heart . . . Frangello illuminates the ways in which life itself is an illusion, but a grand and beautiful and heartbreaking and brilliant one." --Emily Rapp, author of The Still Point of the Turning World "A Life in Men is a vivid, devastating, and ferocious novel that captures a woman's whole life in world torn apart by terrorism and alienation . . . A story of love, passion, and friendship that will rock readers to the core." --Patrick Somerville, author of The Cradle and This Bright River, "A Life in Men is a terrific book, a tender story of friendship, and a frank story of a young woman's adventures with an assortment of oddly funny, violent, and quirky men. It's intense and beautifully written." --Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife "Ambitious in breadth and scope, this work will appeal to fans of Barbara Kingsolver and those who like being immersed in foreign settings." --Library Journal "Mary's . . . storyline masterfully plays out to its conclusion . . . [The] novel packs an emotional punch throughout, particularly in its final third." --Publishers Weekly "A joyful, ambitious novel that is also an adventure traversing three continents, a meditation on love, sex, and, most important, friendship, which can overcome time, distance, and even death." --Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Once Upon a River "In this bravura performance, a quantum creative leap . . . Frangello astutely dissects the quandaries of female sexuality, adoption, terminal illness, and compound heartbreak in a torrent of tough-minded observations, audacious candor, and storytelling moxie." --Booklist "Gina Frangello's luminous novel is deeply human, darkly funny, seriously sexy; it brims with artistry and intelligence and heart . . . Frangello illuminates the ways in which life itself is an illusion, but a grand and beautiful and heartbreaking and brilliant one." --Emily Rapp, author of The Still Point of the Turning World "An epic tour de force capturing a woman's entire life amid a world torn apart by terrorism and alienation, and ultimately, it is an exploration of what individual fulfillment means in such a world, and how grief, identity, sexuality, and responsibility intersect." --Patrick Somerville, author of This Bright River "Frangello delivers truth in the form of brave, purposeful, masterful prose." --Elizabeth Crane, author of We Only Know So Much
