Review of Have I Got a Guy for You
True Stories of What Can Happen When Mom Sets You Up on a Date
Aug 2, 2008
In an age when relationship books are filled with serious information on how to find a man, this delightful collection entertains with real-life blind date disasters, all arranged with the help of dear old mom.
The Complicated Mother-Daughter Relationship
There are two things single women despise: Being asked about their relationship status and being set up by their mom. The mother-daughter bond is a complicated one to say the least, and the stories laid out in this collection only serve to highlight this fact.
One mother, for example, wrote to the producer of Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, and included her daughter’s picture and phone number in an effort to set her daughter up with the show’s producer, Michael Gelman. Another set up included a couch potato teacher, while yet a different mother arranged for her daughter to go out with her cousin by marriage.
Contemporary Authors Offer Personal Stories
The stories listed are from today’s contemporary authors, including Brenda Scott Royce, Leora Klein, Sara Barron, Lois Barth, Benita Gold, and more. Each story is a quick read, written with snappy dialog and independent-minded soulfulness. Women everywhere will be able to relate to these stories and find a bit of themselves in the emotion.
Uplifting Stories That Encourage Single Women
One refreshing aspect to the book is that rather than just complaining about the set ups, each woman also conveys a sense of autonomy and commitment to the desire of finding the right guy. Each of these women isn’t willing to settle for any old someone, she is holding out for the perfect person for her. It’s this desire that persuades her to be set up by her mom to begin with.
Rather than just commiserating, however, there is enough introspection to allow the reader to pull for the single gal, instead of pity her. Social satirist Alix Strauss edited the collection, which undoubtedly aided in the funny and uplifting nature of the stories. Strauss has written a host of articles on everything from beauty to food to celebrity interviews.
Have I Got a Guy for You [Polka Dot Press, 2008], ends on a happy note, with a reminder that mom only wants the best for her daughters, and sometimes she is even right about the guy her daughter needs. The book would make a darling gift for single friends, or even perhaps the mother than means well with her set-ups.
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