Things aren't going well for Piper Nelson. She's drinking like a fish, bedding every loser in a 20-mile radius and flaking out on the students in her Oakland high school English class. Rock bottom comes when Piper learns her ex-husband (with whom she's still madly in love) has impregnated a 21-year old nitwit. She downs a bottle of scotch and promptly passes out. Unfortunately, she does so while at her school desk in front of her entire class. When she comes to, it's time to take stock of her shattered life.
In Piper, Renee Swindle (Please, Please, Please) has created a self-destructive anti-heroine whose unhappiness manifests itself in ways to which most readers will relate. Her life is a train wreck, but the story is shared with both humor and compassion. There's nothing so satisfying as a redemption story--and the troubled Piper is just sassy and sympathetic enough to root for. Swindle plays the story fast and loose around heavy themes like acceptance and forgiveness, ensuring the book is still a hoot to digest.
Also woven into the tale are an unforgettable cast of supporting characters, from a dumb-as-dirt famous football player/rapper, a party girl turned preacher's wife and a Southern belle with a chip on her shoulder. All add to Piper's journey and do wonders to enrich an already remarkable account.
The beautifully engrossing tale culminates as Piper confronts the hardest choice of all: continuing to zombie walk her way through life or discovering the courage to feel again. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend