#8 THE FICTION CLASS by Susan Breen

Number of Book #8
Date Began and Finished 2/10- 2/15 2008
Genre - Fiction
Year It Was Published - Feb 26 2008
Publisher - Plume
number of Pages 296
Trade paperback (Advanced Readers Copy)
Reason for reading: Review for Curled Up
Rating 4/5 stars

Blurb or Synopsis: Arabelle Hicks is a frustrated writer who teaches a weekly fiction class in New York. Her mother, who she never got along with, is currently living in a nursing home. As the dutiful daughter, Arabelle visits her mother once a week, dreading the visit every single time. However, when Arabelle mentions to her mother that she is now teaching a fiction class, her mother takes interest. Arabelle makes it a point now to tell her mother about the class that week, the lesson she taught and the homework that her students were to complete for the following class, and through these discussion, Arabelle and her mother find a common ground.

The students in Arabelle's class become more than just students for her.As the weeks progress, the class bonds and to a point they become friends. Each student has their own personalities and quirks, and Arabelle learns about each of them as they do their home work assignments and participate (or not) in class. One student stands out, a rather disruptive older student who eventually becomes a potential love interest for Arabelle, a man that she finds out later is more than just a disruptive student, and becomes someone she can lean on when things with her mother become rough.

THE FICTION CLASS starts out slow. As a reader i wondered where this book would lead me. there are pieces of a book interspersed with the actual action of the story, and the author of the book is revealed by the end. Breen does a good job at weaving the story of Arabelle and her mother's relationship with the blossoming relationship she has with her students, with both sets of relationships changing as the class progresses. I felt this book was well written, and did a good job at showing the change and growth between two women who never got along, with Arabelle seeking the resolution of a difficult relationship with her mother before it was too late. I was able to relate completely to the main characters, reminding me of my own relationship journey with my mother, a relationship that resembled Arabelle's.

THE FICTION CLASS is a short and fast read, but it gets its point across. I'm looking forward to more by Susan Breen.