false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256077112m/6139011.jpg 6139011 1 <strong>“Wonderful! Leah and Helen are authentic, vulnerable characters, whose intimate truths are exposed at perfect, unexpected moments.”—Elizabeth Strout</strong> At the center of this startling fiction debut is Leah Levinson, a teen at sea in the anonymous ordeals of a middle-class upbringing on the Upper West Side in the 1970s. In ten installments, written from varying perspectives, we witness her uneasy relationships with faster, looser peers—girls she is drawn to but also alienated by.<br /> <br /> No one, though, alienates Leah more than her mother, Helen. Estranged yet intertwined, they struggle within the confines of their personalities, unaware of how similar their paths are. Just when they seem at a lonely impasse, each makes an impulsive change—Leah taking a risky trip abroad, Helen renting a secret room in a welfare hotel. Jolted from their old patterns, the two of them independently glimpse the possibility of a more hopeful life.<br /> <br /> Dylan Landis is a gifted portraitist of unforgettable female characters. <em>Normal People Don’t Live Like This</em> is a striking debut. 6317836 book 22 9 2009 Normal People Don't Live Like This total:25|5:12|4:6|3:5|2:2|1:0| 25 103 109 13 3 0 false false Mon Nov 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 08:14:57 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 10:40:58 -0800 2009
Gave it 3 stars because while the writing was a 5, my enjoyment of the book wa...more...]]> 5 1 false false Mon Oct 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 08:11:56 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 08:31:09 -0700 2009
A novel in stories, Normal People Don't Live Like This is painfully arresting, filled with characters who practically hum with hearta...more...]]> 5 3 false false Fri Oct 09 00:49:45 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 09 22:44:47 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Nov 20 19:46:43 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 20:20:51 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Nov 18 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 13:23:31 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 13:29:23 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Sep 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 30 16:28:53 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 30 16:31:01 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Oct 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 18:48:41 -0700 2009 Mon Nov 02 11:41:09 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat Oct 03 22:57:59 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 03 23:00:22 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Oct 16 13:29:57 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 16 13:30:29 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Thu Oct 15 16:22:18 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 15 16:23:28 -0700 2009 "Jazz" is a top-notch story, one of the best I've read recently... ]]> 5 0 false false Sun Sep 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 05:52:07 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 20 12:03:03 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu May 07 21:22:28 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 10:40:31 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sun Jan 25 20:02:58 -0800 2009 Mon May 18 21:36:44 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Nov 22 14:46:30 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 22 14:46:30 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sat Nov 21 11:57:42 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 11:57:42 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sat Nov 21 10:57:45 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 10:57:45 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Fri Nov 20 08:18:02 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 20 08:18:02 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 19 12:58:59 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 19 12:59:05 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 17 15:47:35 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 17 15:47:35 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 17 14:07:37 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 17 14:07:37 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=6139011