Synopsis: An antisocial New Jersey librarian with an unusual power moves to Florida to be near her brother and sister-in-law. Shortly after her move, she is struck by lightning, and volunteers to be part of a university study of strike victims. It is through this study that she forms friendships and carries out a secret, steamy (no pun intended…ha ha) affair with a reclusive strike victim. Finally, she learns the meaning of sacrifice when she must make an important decision about her lover’s identity and privacy.
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I read this book last year for an assignment that prompted us to examine how librarians were portrayed in the media/pop culture. I expected it to be full of cheesy stereotypes, but I was in for a surprise. This book was wildly entertaining and contains some beautiful imagery of the state of Florida.
If you’re looking for more substantial beach/travel reading than, say, Danielle Steele novels, I highly recommend this book (and her other novels, a couple of which will be featured on this blog in the coming months). I guarantee you’ll be captivated by Hoffman’s ability to take interesting details and combine them to create a meaty stew of a story that you don’t want to end. Is “meaty stew” a bad analogy for summer reading? Probably. But I really can’t think of any other way to describe the satisfaction I got from reading this book.
Midnight Cheesecake 