Reinventing Rita is about a divorced woman in mid-life who’s facing the empty nest after devoting her life to her only son. This book is right up my alley because once upon a time I was Rita. I found the book incredibly relatable to anyone struggling with their identity, but especially to stay-at-home moms. Nancy Christie has an easy, entertaining writing style and her characters are visual and well developed. I enjoyed following Rita as she found her strength and followed her heart and discovered another side of her. This is the kind of book you wish kept going even after the story is over.
Christie's well-written tale about a woman finding herself...covered in flour...is a funny and touching one that most women with a little life experience can relate to and appreciate. Rita is a woman forced to pick herself up by the bootstraps, a woman who doesn't know her own strength until forced to rely on herself, a person finally living her life. She's a likable character and there's a lightness about this story, though Christie addresses some tough issues. If you want a great weekend read, this one fits the bill -- both dramatic and comedic with a little "moxie" thrown in on the side.
“Reinventing Rita is a tasty soufflé of a novel with a nourishing message at its heart. Rita, a divorced empty nester, is approaching her fiftieth birthday. She put aside old dreams of running an elegant Parisienne style bakery when she married, but her son is now grown, and her husband’s moved on to a younger, more glamorous wife. Does she still have the recipe for success as a baker? This wonderful tale, full of humor and delicious insights into the plight of starting over in mid-life, is a sure winner for anyone interested in good writing, good food, and a good story. Highly recommended.”
Anyone who has ever had an Act II will relate to the empty nest syndrome Reinventing Rita brings to life. Rita is a woman lost, now that her son is grown and everyone around her seems to be finding their own happiness. But a chance opportunity comes her way, and soon Rita is on a new journey that helps her reconcile her past and dive into an inspiring future. With a dash of humor, a slice of reality, and a sprinkle of charm, Reinventing Rita is a delightful addition to author Nancy Christie’s Midlife Moxie series.
And in more ways than one. Reinventing Rita features a woman in transition creating beautiful baked goods and desserts as she creates a new life for herself. She suffers her share of self-doubt and there are many obstacles, but a little luck, a lot of determination and an unfilled dream are the recipes for her success. Those and the power that’s unleashed when women come together to support each other. Reinventing Rita is encouragement to all of us to follow our bliss whatever our age.
Yeah, yeah. I know. This book is “women’s fiction” and I don’t quite fit the target audience. But something in the description appealed to me. Anyone who has made a big change in their life or career with all the concerns and second guessing that can sometimes be involved will understand where the character of Rita is coming from, regardless of gender. If you’ve experienced the shakeup in your life that happens when a now “adult” child leaves home for college or whatever, you’ll understand the stress Rita feels. Basically, this is a story that a lot of older and middle age folks, regardless of gender, are going to relate to in some fashion and be pulling for Rita to figure things out as you sympathize with her situation. (You younger kids might want to read it to see what’s coming someday.)
