Summary:
Warning! This book contains themes of sexual abuse and
infidelity.
The first in a series of four books:
For Long Islander Pam Smith, keeping house and staying
beautiful dominate her daily routine as she awaits the return
of her husband, Jack, every Friday evening. When he suffers a fatal heart
attack on the train home from Manhattan, Pam's exquisitely arranged
life is catapulted into turmoil as she is forced to face the realization that
her marriage is nothing more than a black hole plagued with cruel infidelity,
abuse, and sexual deviance. Witness Pam as she graciously and
gracefully accepts the foul world her husband's "other life" forces on
her previously immaculate existence. Come along for the ride of your
life as you ask yourself this one question. How well do I know my husband?
The first in a series of four books:
For Long Islander Pam Smith, keeping house and staying
beautiful dominate her daily routine as she awaits the return
of her husband, Jack, every Friday evening. When he suffers a fatal heart
attack on the train home from Manhattan, Pam's exquisitely arranged
life is catapulted into turmoil as she is forced to face the realization that
her marriage is nothing more than a black hole plagued with cruel infidelity,
abuse, and sexual deviance. Witness Pam as she graciously and
gracefully accepts the foul world her husband's "other life" forces on
her previously immaculate existence. Come along for the ride of your
life as you ask yourself this one question. How well do I know my husband?
Kirkus Review says of Pam of Babylon, "An intriguing first novel that revolves
around a husband's death and hidden secrets...consistently interesting,
this psychological novel contains some mystery and moves
along quickly for a non-thriller."
"Excellent!" Dan Georgakas, Editor, Cineaste Magazine
Suzanne Jenkins lives near the west Michigan lakeshore with her husband,
two dogs and two sheep. Her series begins with Pam of Babylon, followed
by Don't You Forget About Me, Dream Lover, Prayers for the Dying due Summer
2012, and coming soon, Come Back to Me. Also, look for The Greeks
of Beaubien Street this fall.
To learn more about Suzanne Jenkins, go
to suzannejenkins.net
Here's an Excerpt:
First Chapter:
Jack Smith was thinking, I am the luckiest man alive. Sitting at a white-linen-covered table on the sidewalk outside of his favorite restaurant, he was gazing at the perfect face of his mistress of nine months. This place was “their” place. They’d spent a rare night together, and now, in the early morning they could sit and have a leisurely breakfast, enjoying the perfect weather of late May in New York.
“What do you have to do this weekend?” Jack asked, knowing this could be a dangerous topic. Sandra was sipping her coffee, head bowed but eyes on him. She slowly put her cup down and straightened up. He really wanted to know. He was interested in her life outside of where it meshed with his.“After you leave, I think I’ll start getting ready for the week, and then I can relax tonight and tomorrow. Monday I’m having lunch at my sister’s in New Jersey. My schedule next week is fairly packed, so the more I can get done now, the easier it will be.” She thought of her messy apartment, the empty refrigerator, the pile of laundry, but didn’t mention it. Jack’s solution to it would be to say,Pay someone to do those things for you so you can do what you want. Your time is worth more than what it would cost. “One thing I would really like to do is get back to that gallery on Houston and see if there isn’t a deal I can work out for that piece we saw last night.” She smiled at Jack, and they both nodded their heads, remembering the vibrant painting of the Riverside Gardens. It was so colorful, the yellows and reds and blues exaggerated, the flowers oversized. They both loved it.
“You should have said something while we were there!” he said, smiling at her. She knew he would have bought it then and there for her. But she really wanted to buy it for herself. She knew it was wise to keep things like “community property” out of their relationship.
They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. Soon, Jack would start fidgeting, pushing his chair back slightly, looking around him and fighting the urge to not look at his watch. Their time together would be over for now. Sandra would try to beat him to the punch; it was easier for her to be in control of this aspect of their life. His schedule would dictate when they could see each other, but she could be in charge of when it would end. She hated those last minutes while they waited for the check to come, feeling like she was sitting in a vacuum. Today was a little different, maybe because of the night before. It was so special having the evening together and then spending the night with him. The hotel was the same one they always used.It was clean and comfortable and—impersonal. But she didn’t allow herself to think of it.
He suggested early on that they go to her apartment, but she didn’t know how long they would be together and didn’t want those associations in her home. It would be hard enough to end the relationship without memories of him permeating where she lived. No thank you. It would bad enough having to see him at work every day. Besides, he was wealthy enough to afford a hotel, and she was worth it.
He would not have argued if he knew what she was thinking. On one hand, he was wondering what was taking so long to get the check, as he had a lot to do at home today, but on the other he would miss her terribly. It took all the strength he had not to pout like a child when he was away from her. He thought of his home, close to the sea, the smell of salt air. He imagined the two of them sitting on the veranda overlooking the beach grass. But the face of his wife kept popping up on Sandra’s body as he thought of this, not allowing anyone to take her place, even in his thoughts.
She walked him to the subway, refusing to have him walk her home first. He preferred the subway over taking a cab. She would shop on the way home, and he had a long commute, over an hour to his home on Long Island. They walked arm in arm, a striking couple to look at. He mature, graying at the temples and in good shape for his age; she young, model thinand beautiful. Heads turned to look. Were they famous? The attention they got when they were out in public together pleased them, and they became even more animated, laughing, standing up straighter, happiness radiating from them both.
On Broadway, another observer took note of the radiant couple. Jack’s sister-in-law, Marie waitedin the Saturday-morning bagel line at H&H. She happened to be uptown because of having gone to the theatre the night before with her friend, Arthur, and staying the night at his apartment. Marie stood with her mouth open, heat spreading through her body, shocked and furious. The man behind her tapped her on the shoulder; it was her turn already.
“Never mind, go ahead,” she said as she moved out of line. Her body turned toward her brother-in-law as his back and that of his companion continued down the street toward the subway. She inched along the pavement staying close to the storefronts, not wanting to be seen, but dying to see. When they reached the subway the woman, a girl really, didn’t go down the stairs with him. Marie found it incredible that Jack was going to take the subway. What the hell was that all about? The couple stood at the entrance to the stairs talking, his arm around her shoulder protectively. It was clear that they were a couple, not just work associates, not just friends.
Standing out of sight in a doorway, Marie could barely tolerate the physical sensations she was experiencing. Her entire body was vibrating. It was a combination of disgust, shock, and excitement. She had loved Jack as her brother. She was certain her sister Pam, had no idea her husband was cheating on her. Pam would have said something. Marie didn’t yet think of the implications this would have on her relationship with her sister. If she didn’t know, it would remain that way because Marie wasn’t going to tell her. She would confront Jack and insist he tell Pam.That was the only way. Let him do the dirty work. Her patience paid off; Jack took the girl into his arms. He didn’t look around first to see if they were being observed, although this was a neighborhood in which his relatives lived. Then they kissed. He kissed her passionately; she reached up andwith her arms around him, kissed him back. They parted, reluctance obvious to all who looked upon them, intimacy flourishing in a public place.
Jack went down the subway stairs, looking behind him and smiling. The young woman stood there smiling down at him, waiting to move away until he was out of sight.
Marie watched as the young woman, beautiful in a white sundress, turned her back to the stairs and starting walking up Broadway. Marie didn’t have all day to play detective, but she knew that for her sister’s sake, she would need to find out as much as she could about this person. So she followed her, supposing she was headed for home but having no way of knowing. She stayed about half a block behind her. Watching her from the back, she made mental notes: tall; slender (of course); long, dark hair. Marie thought the woman should be blonde,but that didn’t make any sense.She told herself tojust keep walking. When they got to 80thStreet, the woman crossed the street and went into Zabar’s. There was no way Marie was going in there. She would wait outside for a few minutes. She didn’t have all day. If the woman was doing a big shopping trip Marie would leave. She stood across Broadway watching, not wanting to miss it when she left the store. She looked up at the sky; she could see blue between the buildings, sunlight peeking down from the east. It was going to be a beautiful weekend. Memorial Day was Monday. Marie was going to her sister’s house on Long Island for a picnic. She had been looking forward to it all month. Now this.
The young woman stepped out of Zabar’s with two bags of groceries. She turned left and started walking up Broadway again, with Marie following closely behind. When she got to 82ndStreet she turned left, walking toward West End. It figures, Marie thought, remembering her own apartment in no-man’s land. About midway down the block she made another left and walked up to a lovely beige-brick mid-century. She turned the key in the lock, opening the door and disappeared from sight. Marie stood in the center of the sidewalk, disappointed. Well, she had an address, just in case.
She walked back to Broadway thinking all the way. She wanted to call Jack’s cell and tell him off. Suddenly, she was overcome with nausea. She moved to the curb and threw up in the gutter.
The Dame's Review :
Love, love, loved this very gossipy and insightful book about the women left behind by a man who drops dead of a heart attack. I may sound calloused when I say it that way, but what's really heart-wrenching about a man who cheated on his wife and got "called" to the everlasting on it??? It was so much fun to read about how the women in his life reacted to the news of his sudden death, and to find out all the truly interesting details of the man's life when he didn't have time to prepare for his demise.
Pam, the wife in question, reacts in a very non-typical way, I thought. And, this becomes the foundation of the story. She actually embraces her husband's mistress, sending several of his closest "other women" in a tailspin! I loved this approach to the death and over-sight of Jack's life. While I'm not sure it would ever be possible in reality, I thought it was an interesting idea to pursue. Suspending belief and reading the story was a soap operaish ride. It was difficult to put the book away at night.
This is a book well worth purchasing in paperback. It's a beautiful volume.
I recommend the book for a great escape!
Rated: 4 stars
To get your copy of PAM OF BABYLON by Suzanne Jenkins at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pam-Babylon-Suzanne-Jenkins/dp/1461135923/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310645577&sr=1-1
To get your copy of DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME by Suzanne Jenkins at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Forget-About-Book-Babylon/dp/1466219009/ref=pd_sim_b_2
To get your copy of DREAM LOVER by Suzanne Jenkins at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Lover-Book-Three-Babylon/dp/1468126237/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Pick up your copy of PAM OF BABYLON by Suzanne Jenkins at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pam-of-babylon-suzanne-jenkins/1104205831?ean=2940013633056
Pick up your copy of DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME by Suzanne Jenkins at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-you-forget-about-me-suzanne-jenkins/1108113721?ean=2940014047722
To learn more about Suzanne Jenkins, visit her website: http://suzannejenkins.net/
Drop in at Suzanne Jenkins’ blog: http://2sheepinthecity.com
Visit Suzanne Jenkins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/suzannejenkins3
Like Suzanne Jenkins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzannejenkinswriter
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