Spilt-Level by Sandra Boritz Berger

Release Day: May 7, 2019

Thanks to She Writes Press and Net Galley for an Advanced Review Copy

I have my own private book island.

A mermaid and her pet dolphin deliver

 the latest in fascinating reads. 

I bask on the beach, sip sparkling water and savor the stories. 

Here’s my latest review. 

I write it on a postcard, and the mermaid mails it for me.

Book Blurb from Goodreads

In Split-Level, set as the nation recoils from Nixon, Alex Pearl is about to commit the first major transgression of her life. But why shouldn’t she remain an officially contented, soon-to-turn-thirty wife? She’s got a lovely home in an upscale Jersey suburb, two precocious daughters, and a charming husband, Donny. But Alex can no longer deny she craves more—some infusion of passion into the cul-de-sac world she inhabits. 

After she receives a phone call from her babysitter’s mother reporting that Donny took the teen for a midnight ride, promising he’d teach her how to drive, Alex insists they attend Marriage Mountain, the quintessential 1970s “healing couples sanctuary.” Donny accedes—but soon becomes obsessed with the manifesto A Different Proposition and its vision of how multiple couples can live together in spouse-swapping bliss. At first Alex scoffs, but soon she gives Donny much more than he bargained for. After he targets the perfect couple to collude in his fantasy, Alex discovers her desire for love escalating to new heights—along with a willingness to risk everything. Split-Levelevokes a pivotal moment in the story of American matrimony, a time when it seemed as if an open marriage might open hearts as well. 

JENA’S REVIEW

Split-Level by Sande Boritz Berger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What makes a book “wow, what an amazing story! You have to read this!” For me, it can be an unforgettable character, a page-turning thriller, or a creative non-fiction that teaches me something new. Then there are those special books that delight me because of the writing- the fresh way the author chooses each word, unexpected, new and keenly correct. Words that open me up to both old memories and new feelings and thoughts. This is such a book- a story where word gems create a treasure chest of riches for the reader.

Alex, short for Alexandra, tells us her story in the first person. The way she thinks and shares her life is similar to her artwork- filled with carefully selected details that both charm and alarm us. The 1970’s, a time of swift cultural changes, is when we meet Alex in suburban New Jersey as she deals with the day-to-day of her married-with-two-kids life. Will an unexpected phone call disrupt everything?

The title of this book got me thinking. A split-level reminds me of the Brady Bunch house- happy kids, happy wife, happy life. This doesn’t seem to describe the real life of Alex. As Alex shares her past and copes with her runaway present, I could see that there were many ways that Alex was “split”. She is a daughter, wife, mother, friend, Jewish woman. She is split by her roles and she is split by her feelings and her desires. Will she split from her marriage? Will she put herself back together?

I don’t mean to make this story sound too heavy. As I read it, I was laughing, entertained and captivated. Alex’s words and observations are so creative and unexpected. One humorous scene is when Alex recalls meeting her husband’s parents for the first time. Her husband works in the family women’s foundations business. As Alex is introduced, her husband and father immediately remark on her bra cup size. That’s what they do! So funny! Or is it?

Yes, there are many layers to this story and much to ponder.This book is good on so many levels Highly recommend.

I received a digital review copy, thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press. This is my honest review.

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