On Turpentine Lane

A Novel

Elinor Lipman

• Publisher: Harper
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN:
  9781328745583
• eBook ISBN:
  9780544808270
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Women in Fiction
• Index: Literature

In this endearing romantic comedy, a young woman navigates the complexities of modern love as she investigates her new home's mysterious past.
At thirty-two, Faith Frankel has returned to her claustro-suburban hometown, where she writes institutional thank-you notes for her alma mater. It's a peaceful life, really, and surely with her recent purchase of a sweet bungalow on Turpentine Lane, her life is finally on track. Never mind that her fiancé is off on a crowdfunded cross-country walk, too busy to return her texts (but not too busy to post photos of himself with a different woman in every state). And never mind her witless boss, or a mother who lives too close, or a philandering father who thinks he's Chagall.
When she finds some mysterious artifacts in the attic of her new home, she wonders whether anything in her life is as it seems. What good fortune, then, that Faith has found a friend in affable, collegial Nick Franconi, officemate par excellence . . .
Elinor Lipman may well have invented the screwball romantic comedy for our era, and here she is at her sharpest and best.
Praise for On Turpentine Lane
"Light and tight, On Turpentine Lane is constructed with an almost scary mastery. . . . Lipman seems to have the most fun writing ridiculous characters, which may be why the novel's worst people are so enjoyable." — New York Times Book Review
"The cleverly tangled plot—along with some snappy dialogue and a wry, likeable heroine—makes Lipman's latest a diverting delight." — People
"With a witty cast of characters and her usual delightful dialogue and insightful observations of human behavior, Lipman . . . captures the complications of modern love." — Publishers Weekly

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• What Possessed Me?
• A Different Man
• Stewardship
• Inspection
• The Secret Life of Henry Frankel
• Pointers
• Halloween
• Excellent Friends
• Why Take It Out on Me?
• What Do I Do Now?
• Family Caucus
• The Confluence of Bad Things
• Collaborators
• Still Here
• Progress
• Visitors
• Welcome to Everton
• What a Pal
• I Apologize
• I’m Not Blaming Anyone
• Team Turpentine
• Mind If I Look Around?
• Let Them Live Happily Ever After
• Oh No, Oh No, Oh No
• A Lot for a Daughter in One Day
• What’s This About?
• Too Much? Too Close?
• Woe Is Us
• How to Avoid Thanksgiving
• Bratty Brooke
• Table for Two
• December 23–24
• I Wasn’t Even Born Then
• Care to Share?
• Codes of Conduct
• Dead or Alive?
• I Waste No Time Getting Over There
• We’re Done Here
• Good Try, Though
• If Those Walls Could Talk
• It Never Snows in Maui
• Neither the Time nor the Place
• Overall Frankel Anxiety
• Is That a Yes?
• Poor Chagall
• Why So Touchy?
• News
• Nancy Knows
• “Dearest Nick . . .”
• Acknowledgments
• Q&A with Elinor Lipman
• Sample Chapter from GOOD RIDDANCE
• Buy the Book
• About the Author
• Connect with HMH