Attachments

Rowell, Rainbow. Attachments New York: Penguin 201s. Print.

First Sentences:

Would it kill you to get here before noon?

I'm sitting here among the shards of my life as I know it, and you ... if I know you, you just woke up. You're probably eating oatmeal and watching Sally Jessy Raphael. E-mail me when you get in, before you do anything else. Don't even read the comics.

Description:

Jennifer and Beth, employees at midwest newspaper in 1999, daily flaunt the company's computer policy of "No personal communication" by sending numerous chatty emails to each other about their lives, loves, and dreams. To counter such time-wasting employees, the office management hires Lincoln, an Internet Security Officer, to set up a system that will read all company emails and separate non-business messages into a file for Lincoln to review after work hours. He then must send warnings to these email offenders. 

Of course, Lincoln immediately notices Jennifer's and Beth's funny, free-wheeling , personal communications, but just cannot bring himself to issue them stern warnings. In fact, he begins to become interested in their notes and lives. He even harbors thoughts about meeting them, even though they work on different shifts and does not know what they look like.

Such is the set-up to Rainbow Rowell's debut novel Attachments. A complicated, quirky story emerges as readers learn more about these characters, their success/unsuccessful lives, and their loves. Lincoln's high school sweetheart broke up with him in college and he now he lives with his mother, plays Dungeons & Dragons every weekend, and has never had another serious relationship. Beth is living with her college sweetheart, a heavy metal musician who has more than a little growing up to do. Jennifer is married and childless, but whether she's happy and fulfilled is another question.

Lincoln begins hanging out in the company lunch room in hopes that one of the women will work late and he will somehow recognize her. Then one day, Beth writes Jennifer that there is a new cute guy in the break room and comments on her secret interest in him, despite already having a live-in boyfriend. Naturally, Lincoln figures she is talking about him, but how can he ever approach her: "Hi, I'm the guy who's been reading all your emails about your secret fantasies and love life"? You can see his problem ... and hers as well.

With all the humor and casual bravado (and often shyness) from each character, this really is a story about loving deeply and wanting to find someone who can love you back. You pull for each person to have their dreams fulfilled and meet the perfect person, but it is impossible to imagine how what we hope is inevitable will ever happen. 

Really a uniquely funny, thoughtful, intimate read.

Happy reading. 

Fred

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