Books by Jack Fritscher

THE GEOGRAPHY OF WOMEN
A Romantic Comedy

A Novel by Jack Fritscher

Translated and Published in Greece

BEST FICTION
SMALL PRESS BOOK AWARD
FINALIST 1999

In the tradition of spunky small-town girls whose vernacular descends from Huck Finn, Laydia Spain dares to take on her own father, Big Jim O’Hara, the postman and accordion champ who named her Laydia Spain; Mister Henry Apple, the prescription-eating pharmacist who marries the bleach-blond Mizz Lulabelle; and Mister Wilmer Fox, the red-headed traveling salesman whose revolving returns to the little town of Canterberry always upset everyone’s plans to live happily ever after.

Ultimately, the dark-skinned cinnamon girl, Jessarose, who takes off on the road to fame and fortune as a roadhouse blues singer, defines the direction of love, because, while “the human face is a limitless terrain that just pulls you right in….the geography of women is where nature itself takes course homeward bound, the long route or the short, the high road or the low.”

Comic, good-humored, nostalgic, and as vivid as a fast-talking film script with music, Jack Fritscher’s sixth book of fiction is lean writing laced with witty observations and a couple of tear drops of genuine human compassion. This is a real storyteller’s tale–a very polished tale–of lively characters living in a specific place at a time that has reached the level of myth in American popular culture.

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Review/Analysis of Jack Fritscher book The Geography of Women

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The Geography of Women: A Romantic Comedy by Jack Fritscher is a nostalgic journey into a small Southern Illinois town in the 1950s and early 1960s, a period marked by significant cultural shifts.

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The novel is narrated by Laydia Spain O’Hara, a spirited innkeeper who recounts the lives and intertwining relationships of fourteen characters, focusing on a trio of women: Laydia, the tomboyish narrator; Miss Lulabelle, a zany, bleach-blond farmer’s daughter; and Jessarose, a dark-skinned blues singer.

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Fritscher crafts a narrative that is both humorous and insightful, showcasing the women’s journey of coming of age and self-discovery against a backdrop of small-town gossip and societal expectations. The dialogue, described as “zingy and funny as a one-woman show,” drives the character-driven plot. The novel explores themes of friendship, love, and the pursuit of individual paths, especially as Laydia and her friends defy conventions by opening a bed-and-breakfast, a testament to their desire for independence and a re-imagined sense of family and home.

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While the story is set in a specific time and place, the underlying themes resonate with broader social changes regarding gender roles, family structures, and personal liberation that began in the mid-20th century and continue to evolve today. Fritscher’s writing style is lauded for its “lean writing laced with witty observations and a couple of tear drops of genuine human compassion”, according to Amazon.com. The novel is celebrated for its inclusion of diverse voices and experiences, scoring “100% inclusion” in its portrayal of women’s lives.

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The Geography of Women is more than just a romantic comedy; it’s a poignant and witty exploration of human relationships, self-invention, and the power of female bonds in a world undergoing dramatic changes. Fritscher, recognized as a diverse voice in American writing, delivers a tale that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, inviting readers to reflect on the nature of love, home, and personal freedom.

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