Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta

 

Eve Fletcher is about to start a new chapter in her life.  Since her husband walked out seven years ago, it has been just her and her son Brenden.  Now he is headed off to college and she's not sure she's ready to live alone.  Eve is the head of a senior center so it's not likely she will meet anyone at work.

But Eve adjusts.  She takes a class at a community college and finds friends there.  The class is taught by a transgender man and she is now unsure about how to find female friends.  There is also a college freshman who knows Brenden and considers him a bullying jock.  

Along with challenging her mind, Eve also explores her sexuality.  She watches porn, makes a tentative move towards a female colleague.  The freshman develops a crush on Eve and tries to seduce her.  When all is said and done, how many new experiences will Eve experience?

Tom Perrota is known for his humorous writing, taking up such topics as elections and everyday human existence.  Eve is someone most middle-aged women can relate to as they try to determine who they are and what they want once the years of childrearing are over.  Brenden starts as an obnoxious teenager but grows over the course of the novel.  This book is recommended for readers of literary and women's fiction.