A Little Help From Above
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Published by: Avon (HarperCollins)
Release Date: December 10, 2002
Pages: 339
ISBN13: 978-0060096205
Synopsis
That Wake-Up Call You hear Tomorrow Morning? Darling, It’s Not the Ritz
This stunning debut novel is the story of an embattled family and the mother who tries to keep them together. In her case, from the afterlife.
It begins when the deceased Sandy Lazarus grows weary of a decades-long family feud. How can she rest in eternal peace if her stubborn her daughter won't make nice? But divine intervention is tricky and instead of making life better for everyone she makes things worse.
Or maybe not.
A near-fatal accident in Long Island forces 38-year-old Shelby, a journalist, to quickly return home and investigate. Hopefully her father and stepmother will hire an aide so Shelby can fly back to Chicago. But faster than you can say family dysfunction, Shelby is confronted with old demons…her mother’s untimely death, her father’s remarriage to her mother’s younger sister, her own sister’s mishigas, and the sad void caused by the disappearance of childhood love, Matty Lieberman.
Then Shelby is confronted with an even bigger challenge. Her sister, Lauren, is a DES daughter, and in search of a surrogate who can help her start her family. Of course, Shelby wouldn’t lend her designer shoes let alone her uterus. But the more Shelby learns about DES, the harder it is to let Lauren face this struggle alone.
A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE explores the enduring link between mothers, daughters, and sisters, and asks the age-old question: who are the people in my life and what was God thinking when he threw us together. It is a poignant and entertaining ride that stops exactly where it’s supposed to. Home sweet home.
Praise
"In this busy debut novel, Shelby Lazarus, a hotshot reporter for the Chicago Tribune, is a beautiful but quite nasty shrew of a woman who returns to the family she despises when her father and stepmother are involved in a serious accident. Shelby, estranged from her family for more than two years, has been unable to maintain a loving relationship with anyone since she was 10 years old. At that time, two events occurred that changed her forever: her best friend and the love of her young life, Mattie, moved away, and her mother died soon after. Exasperated and tired of watching from the afterlife as her eldest child continues on an unmarried, unhappy, and angry path, the late Sandy Lazarus (Shelby's mom) determines to do something about it. She sets out interfering with Shelby's life, beginning with this accident that brings her errant daughter home. Packed full of action and many subplots, it wouldn't be surprising to hear that this book will be produced as a "made-for-TV" movie."
-Booklist"Excellent book….heartwarming, thought-provoking and hilariously funny by love to read “I L J” “I enjoyed this book more than I have any other in quite some time! The author is extremely talented and very funny! I could not put it down, but as I got close to finishing, I didn’t want it to end..."
-Amazon Review“Very witty and cleverly crafted, this is a gallant first effort by the author! It’s a story of a long journey on the path of reconciliation, which takes many zany (and sometimes silly) twists and turns. The reflections of the long-dead Sandy, who is trying to manipulate her family’s outcome from above, is somewhat reminiscent of Debbie Macomber’s angels series (I make this comparison as a complement to the author). As a Long Islander, I appreciated accurate representation of this area contained in the setting and in the references to actual real-life places scattered throughout. While there were parts that were a bit unrealistic, such as the chance meeting on the Hutchinson Parkway, the surrogate storyline, and the astrology bits, all-in-all, this was a highly enjoyable story that was lots of fun to read!”
-Amazon Review“An awesome book, by a very talented first-time author. LOVED IT, LOVED IT. The premise: that a mother’s work is never done, even from the “other side”. In this case, Shelby Lazarus lost her mom 30 years ago, and unbeknownst to Shelby, her mom has been “assisting her” and pulling some supernatural strings from above. Saralee Rosenberg has such a way with words, it is delightful to read her witty first creation. Her character development is wonderful. Furthermore, she deals with many timely issues, such as DES, surrogate pregnancy, family squabbles, sister competition, destiny, karma and astrology. A must read for every female on the planet, regardless of age or status. So enjoyable and thought provoking…”
-Amazon Review