A Woman in Search of…

Wendy is a thirty-two-year-old woman living in California in the mid-1970s, searching for something she can’t entirely define. Is it love, acceptance, respect, or something else altogether? As the story opens, Wendy struggles to come to terms with a failed marriage to a husband who is distant and critical. But she is determined to get her life back on course. She and her friend Cindy become regulars at the local bars, where they meet new people and open themselves up to changes they hadn’t imagined. Wendy finds that she is attracted to a musician, Brad, in one of the bars, but, unfortunately, he is more interested in her friend Cindy. Although disappointed, she soon sees other men and broadens her horizons by following her passion for gardening and opening a nursery that gives her a new sense of worth. But Wendy never seems to escape her obsession with Brad, even as she dates other interesting men. As her business grows and she explores new opportunities, she finds she is still searching for something more than just entrepreneurial success. But along the way, she turns to drugs to help ease her sense of anxiety which almost costs her the love and friendship of her new boyfriend, Elliot. And at the same time, her estranged husband, Scott, is trying to confine her that he is a changed man, making Wendy wonder whether they still have a chance together.

A Woman in Search of… is a beautiful story of a woman trying to navigate life on her own terms. I loved that it focused on the importance of friendships and how that helped Wendy find balance and often see things in a new light. I also loved the author’s attention to detail regarding period dress, music, and television shows. It brought back some fun memories of my childhood. However, I wish she had developed the scene or episode in chapter 41 with Sue. It seemed a missed opportunity to add some more spice to the story. And many readers would have loved to find out what happened between Brad and Sue to make her so mean to Wendy. I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to find out.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and appreciated the focus on friendship, forgiveness, and staying true to yourself. And it made me think more about how the 60s and 70s brought about changes for women that we often think very little about today.