Odd Numbers

by M. Grace Bernardin

ODD NUMBERS Is it possible to find love in the heart of the Midwest between a strip mall and a cornfield? This is the quest of three friends who meet in the 1980s at the Camelot Apartments, located amidst the suburban sprawl of the southern Indiana town of Lamasco. Frank, who moves from the East coast to Lamasco to start a market research firm, is a well-bred, charming, polished Ivy Leaguer with a penchant for classical music. Vicky, the noisy downstairs neighbor who is constantly trying to drown out Frank's classical music with rock and roll, is a tough-talking, whisky-guzzling, Harley-riding lady bartender from western Kentucky with a reckless spirit and a haunted past. Between Frank and Vicky is Allison, an image-conscious, self-improvement junkie who gives up a promising marketing career in Chicago to return to her hometown of Lamasco at the urging of her high school sweetheart and fiancé, with whom she has long since fallen out of love. An unlikely friendship forms between Allison and Vicky as they discover that underneath their very different veneers, they have many similarities, one of those being a secret passion for their neighbor, Frank. ODD NUMBERS spans twenty-plus years and ultimately culminates with the startling collision that reconnects this odd love triangle. "Touching, clever, and at times delightfully off the wall, Odd Numbers is a gulp of fresh air for those of us weary from forcing ourselves to start the next chapter of a book promised to be a page-turner. "The best storytellers know that characters are everything, and Bernardin's characters Vicky, Allison, and Frank, are like us-flawed but hopeful. "Bernardin's prose reminds me of Willa Cather, her descriptions elegant but not blustery or garish. Those among us who esteem a well-crafted sentence have a new wordsmith to add to our list of favorite writers. Odd Numbers is a finely crafted story of the human heart." - Mike Whicker, author of the bestseller, Invitation to Valhalla and Blood of the Reich (Walküre Press)

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

550 pages, Paperback

First published November 9, 2009

Reviews

[Kelly]

Odd Numbers is the wonderful, heartfelt story of a group of people who share an apartment building in the 1980s and follows their lives through to the present day. Bernardin's strength lies in drawing these dynamic, human characters that feel so real they could live in the vacant apartment next to me (though like Vicky, I might find the overly loud classic music annoying after a while).

The pacing and plotting are flawless. I never felt lost, dragged along for the ride, or constantly checking my rear view mirror to figure out what just happened. The book is on the long side, but the story is told so well that it never feels overdone or over-plotted. The lifelike cast of characters and brilliant plot carry the story along so well you don't even feel like you're reading a long book.

Bernardin has a gift for well-written dialogue. The conversations that were supposed to be awkward felt awkward, the ones that were supposed to be dramatic were dramatic, and the ones that were supposed to be natural felt natural as all get out. I was worried that the Christian subtext would be heavy-handed, but was pleasantly surprised when it was not.

The book *could* use another round with an editor, but the characters and the plot keep it from being too distracting. Overall, it's a wonderful book and I would recommend it to anyone.

Kelly I. Hitchcock
Author of Portrait of Woman in Ink: A Tattoo Storybook

[Sarah Emm]

M. Grace Bernardin’s Odd Numbers was a wonderful treat! I found myself pulled into this compelling story from the start and even felt like I was living in the Camelot apartment building along with Frank, Allison, and Vicky. Despite their differences, each character found a way into my heart and mind. I honestly fell for each of them, and at times, couldn’t decide who I was rooting for more. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The characters were flawed, but loveable, making them ones that readers will identify with and appreciate. I would highly recommend this novel for anyone who aspires to truly judge a person by their character, for anyone who appreciates the nature of enduring love, or for anyone who has ever believed in second chances. Odd Numbers is a heart-warming, intriguing, difficult-to-put-down story! I didn’t want it to end! Hats off to Ms. Bernardin!