Deconstructed by Liz Talley Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review. (Not my picture.)

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Talley. Talk about a fun read! I look forward to reading more from this very talented lady. She is able to take some pretty serious subjects and write about them with a sense of humor but also with a sense of realism, making you feel like her characters are people you know. In this tale you will find infidelity, a family that is on the ‘fringe,’ and a couple of ladies who ‘deconstruct’ their lives only to rebuild themselves into the people they want to be. This is one of those books that you’ll want to keep on your shelf to read when you need a good laugh.

Cricket, the owner of Printemps (an antique store), finds herself at a loss as to what to do when she finds out her husband, Scott, is cheating on her. She also then finds out that he may be holding onto another secret, one that she thinks could potentially be dangerous. She elicits the help of Ruby, a clerk at her store, for help and discovers a friendship with Ruby she didn’t think possible.

Ruby, having served a couple of years in jail, is surprised when she gets a job at Printemps. She is a member of the Balthazar family … a family on the ‘fringe.’ Through this tale, Ruby not only finds a friend in Cricket, but has the realization that her family isn’t as bad as she makes them out to be. Ruby is also a very talented ‘re-purposer’ of old clothes.

You will also be introduced to Juke, Griff, Gran, Julia Kate, Stephanie, Jade, Marguerite, Ed Earl, Dak, and a few other characters thrown in for good measure. Each of these characters have their own backstory, some of them changing their lives for the better. There is even a bit of romance thrown in just to make things interesting.