Sundays at Tiffanys

By James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

I heard a radio interview with internationally known author James Patterson the other day on my way home from school. Amazingly, he has nine, yes nine, books coming out this year. He manages this by having co-authors. Such is the case with Sundays at Tiffanys, a tender love story, reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks. Jane Margaux is the 8-year-old daughter of an inattentive single mom, Vivienne, a hard-nosed, ever busy Broadway producer. Jane survives because she has an imaginary friend named Michael. Michael is a grown man whose job it is to befriend needy children. We are never quite sure if he's ghost or angel, but whatever he is, he takes very good care of Jane until she turns 9 years old, when he has to leave her. That's the rule. Michael can only stay until the child's ninth birthday, because after that, she can manage on her own. He endures these excruciatingly difficult leave-takings because the children he loves and leaves forget him almost immediately. Even for Michael, the memories of his children become very fuzzy. But Jane is special, and she never forgets Michael, and he doesn't forget her.

Fast forward 20 years, and Michael is back in NYC. One day he sees Jane, who is still being walked all over by one who should love her. To his astonishment, she recognizes him. This is a modern-day fairy tale, so it is not hard to imagine where this story goes. Though Sundays at Tiffany's holds few surprises, it is still a satisfying read for those of us who love happily ever afters.

--reviewed by Dail Sams