Twenties Girl- Sophie Kinsella

#78. Twenties Girl- Sophie Kinsella

I stumbled around the library a few weeks ago, desperate for something lightish to read. Sometimes you just want something to relax into, to make you laugh, you know? I was a little wary about this one- I do enjoy Sophie Kinsella, but a ghost story? I'm not much for paranormal stuff, but I figured what the hell, I'd give it a whirl.

The novel starts off with Lara Lington attending the funeral of her great-aunt Sophie. She never met Sophie, and none of the family seems to know that much about her- seems she spent the last twenty or so years moldering away in a nursing home with no visitors. Kind of tragic. But then Great Aunt Sophie, in ghost form, begins squawking away behind Lara, something about a lost necklace, and Lara is the only one who can hear or see her. She's freaked, but Sophie won't be ignored. She's demanding and opinionated, and, well, why not help her? It's not like Lara has anything better to do. The company she started with her best friend is tanking (because the best friend ditched her for a tropical paradise and a hot guy on the beach), her boyfriend recently dumped her (but he still loves her, she just knows it!)...Lara and Sophie team up to track down the missing necklace, but Lara discovers so much more than jewelry along the way. Family history, family secrets, lies, deception...and maybe even love.

This turned out to be really cute. I didn't much care for Lara (or Sophie) in the beginning, to be honest. What kept me engaged with the story was the history. Sophie speaks wistfully of her past, of dancing the Charleston, speakeasies, and "barney-mugging," and that gave the story such a distinct charm that I was fully drawn in. Lara grows as a character, thanks to her dealings with Sophie, and she becomes a lot more tolerable (as does Sophie, especially as they figure out how to work together). I'm glad I gave this the chance.

Word:

valpolicella- n- a dry, red table wine from the Veneto region of Northern Italy. (In one of those fun synchronicity moments, we went to a local Italian restaurant this past Saturday, and valpolicella was on the menu. Fun!)