"Being a lifetime wife and mother has afforded me the luxury of having multiple and even simultaneous careers: I’ve been a chauffeur. A chef. An interior decorator. A landscape architect, as well as a gardener. I’ve been a painter. A furniture restorer. A personal shopper. A veterinarian’s assistant and sometimes the veterinarian.... An accountant, a banker, and on occasion, a broker. I’ve been a beautician. A map. A psychic. Santa Claus. The Tooth Fairy. The T.V. Guide. A movie reviewer. An angel. God....For a long time I have felt like I inadvertently got my master’s in How to Take Care of Everybody Except Yourself and then a Ph.D. in How to Pretend Like You Don’t Mind. But I do mind."
Since Terry McMillan’s breakout novel Waiting to Exhale surged onto the bestseller lists, critics and readers alike have been captivated by her irreverent, hilarious, pitch-perfect tales of women’s lives and contemporary issues. With The Interruption of Everything, her sixth novel, McMillan takes on the fault lines of midlife and family life, reminds us once again of the redeeming power of friendship, and turns her eye toward the dilemma of how a woman starts to put her own needs higher on the to-do list while not shortchanging everyone else.
Marilyn Grimes, wife and mother of three, has made a career of deferring her dreams to build a suburban California home and lifestyle with her husband, Leon. She troubleshoots for her grown kids, cares for her live-in mother-in-law, Arthurine (and elderly poodle, Snuffy); keeps tabs on her girlfriends Paulette and Bunny and her own aging mother and foster sister—all the while holding down a part-time job. But at forty-four, Marilyn’s got too much on her plate and nothing to feed her passion. She feels like she’s about ready to jump. She’s just not sure where.
Highly entertaining, deeply human, a page-turner full of heart and soul, The Interruption of Everything is vintage Terry McMillan—and a triumphant testament to the fact that the detour is the path, and living life "by the numbers" never quite adds up.
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"Life sure has a way of throwing you curve balls every once in awhile, just to see if you are paying attention. Terry is such a fun writer to read, she tells a story from her heart, making the folks seem so real you can swear she's writing about yourself or your friends."
— Barbara (5 out of 5 stars)
" Enjoyed it because its vintage McMillan -- enjoy her style of storytelling. Nothing earthshattering, but a fun ride nonetheless. "
— Tori, 2/19/2014" As always, Terry McMillian delivers. an excellent story about the typical women regardless of color, race etc. how she puts her life on hold to put everyone else's needs first and how unhappy it is making her. "
— Sheryl, 2/15/2014" How to dust yourself off and get into life again. "
— Ginger, 2/10/2014" While I did not think this book was up-to-par with "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" or "Waiting to Exhale", I enjoyed it and I TOTALLY identified with Marilyn - not in every way, but in many ways. Some parts of the book were a little slow, but the mid-life "truths" that were addressed kept me reading. "
— Amy, 2/9/2014" I really enjoyed this book. Something I learned or better yet a lesson that was refreshed was sometimes Life will change your plans. "
— Sarah, 2/2/2014" I was slightly disappointed by McMillan's effort in this book. It seems that her heart wasn't really in it and neither was mine. It was difficult to connect with the characters and although I was interested to see the final outcome of the book, I generally had to make myself finish it. I would only recommend this one if you are a hard-core fan. "
— LT, 1/28/2014" I can not put this book down! TM at her finest... "
— Gina, 1/25/2014" I enjoy Terry McMillan. She writes indepth about the characters and you feel you actually know them. "
— Julie, 1/15/2014" This book was just OK. Not my favorite. A decent story but a little different from her earlier books. "
— Laura, 1/15/2014" great, fun read for women in life's transitions "
— Kathy, 1/11/2014" I like this book. Not one of my favorites by Ms. McMillian but I still enjoyed it. A good read. "
— Tia, 1/6/2014Terry McMillan is the author of a number of bestselling novels, including is the #1 New York Times bestsellers How Stella Got Her Groove Back and A Day Late and a Dollar Short. Four of her novels have been made into movies: Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Disappearing Acts, and A Day Late and a Dollar Short.