Playing Botticelli

by Liza Nelson

Godiva Blue thinks she controls the world she has created for her daughter Dylan and herself in a neglected corner of North Florida. While her fellow college activists have become Reagan-era yuppies, Godiva—an elementary-school janitor who is also an avant-garde artist and avowed nonconformist—staunchly refuses to compromise her ideals. Then one day she glances at the wanted posters hanging in her local post office and recognizes the face of a man she hasn’t seen since 1969: Dylan’s father. Shaken, Godiva grabs the poster and takes it home. When 15-year-old Dylan, already secretly chafing against her mother’s out-sized personality, finds the photograph, the discovery rocks the very foundation of their relationship. Fueled by simmering adolescent resentment, Dylan sets out across America to look for the father she’s never known. Left behind and powerless to protect her daughter, Godiva must finally confront the choices she made long ago. By turns funny, scary and reflective, Playing Botticelli follows Godiva and Dylan deep into the uncharted territories of their hearts as they seek that elusive balance between autonomy and family love?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jill]

It was generally well-written, but I had a hard time getting into it or caring much about the characters. The daughter seemed idiotic, and I didn't really buy that she was so desperate for a father that she would make up a lie and travel across the country by herself. There wasn't much of a plot with Godiva--just she makes a friend and has an affair. It wasn't bad, but I don't think I'd recommend it to a friend.

[Les]

My Original Thoughts (2000):

Entertaining, but not a great read. The point of view shifts frequently from Godiva to Dylan (in first person) to third person. The book held my interest and I could picture it on the big screen, as it reminded me a little bit of Where the Heart Is.

My Current Thoughts:

I have no recollection of this book.

[Anne]

This is a first novel that explores mother-daughter relationships. Dylan, the daughter of a free-spirited hippie mother and an unknown father, sets out to find her father. Really she sets out to find herself out of the shadow of her well-intentioned but overly involved mother. An enjoyable diversion of a novel.

[Candy]

This was a good enough story, but just another story of a girl looking for her father. It makes me grateful that my Dad was around all my life so far.

[Andrea]

Okay, as you see I rarely give low scores on books...but this one just rubbed me the wrong way for some reason, even though I did read it...I could not remember it until I glanced through again.

[Patty]

Well written, interesting characters. I don't believe everything that happened, but it held my interest

[Kathy]

Standard looking for father story, with 60's radical artists thrown in.

[Jan]

Prefer a feel good story. Felt the strife in the story.

[Dee]

A sweet story about a mother/daughter relationship and a girl's search for her father.

[Rema]

I'll read the dutch version of this book, the title is : De fantasie vader.