But now that I think about it, maybe Landline IS a New Adult novel. Sure, the summary says it’s about married people, Georgie and Neal with two daughters and a troubled marriage. That’s not a recipe for a college-aged love story. But then again, 30-something Georgie stumbles upon an old landline phone that somehow lets her talk to the Neal of her college years. The Neal she was head over heels for. The Neal who inexplicably drove hours just to propose to her.
It’s a great concept: almost like time travel, but not quite because Georgie is still in the present, and never leaves. But we are told in well-placed flashbacks about how she and Neal met, how they connected, and through their landline phone conversations, how they ended up married. It’s definitely an adult novel, with adult problems and characters, but underneath there’s this subversive little current of early adult romance.
And of course, we are treated to Rainbow Rowell’s perfect blend of honesty, pop culture nostalgia, pain, swoon, humor and heartache. Lately no other author does this delicious ice-cream swirl of retro realism like Rainbow. I see myself in all her books, despite how different they are.
I won’t lie: it hurt to read this book. REALLY hurt. I’m a 34 year old mother of 2 girls who has been married for 12 years. I’m pretty well acquainted with marital ennui. That being said, this isn’t MY marriage; I don’t think we’ve ever gone through what Neal and Georgie do. But it hurt nonetheless to watch two people who love each other be unable to get it together, and struggle to remember why they bothered in the first place.
But despite the pain, the first thing I did after reading it was give it to my married best friend to read. It’s definitely the kind of book that needs to get passed around your circle of friends and then discussed over lots and lots of wine and tapas. Pick it up today!
What’s your favorite Rainbow Rowell book?
