This One Is Mine - by Maria Semple (Paperback)

About the Book

Violet Parry's living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again.

Book Synopsis

Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life -- except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return.

When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap.

For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. This One is Mine is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more -- and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.

Review Quotes

"A fresh, flamboyantly witty new voice."--Helen Fielding, author of Bridget Jones's Diary

"Maria Semple writes like a cross between Dorothy Parker and Nathaniel West. This One Is Mine is an uncompromising and trenchantly funny portrait of Los Angeles life that rings uncomfortably true."--Darren Star, creator of ?Sex and the City?

"Maria Semple's remarkable first novel isn't just a witty, sharp-edged satire about adultery, social climbing, and the absurdities of L.A. On a deeper level, This One is Mine is a complex, unexpectedly moving story about the risks and rewards of love, in all its irrational glory."--Tom Perrotta, author of Election and Little Children

"Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. It is funny, carefully observed, beautifully written, very knowing and in general a real treat. Stop wondering which book to buy. Buy this one."--Merrill Markoe, author of Walking in Circles

"This delightful novel gives pleasure on every page."--Phillip Lopate, author of The Art of the Personal Essay

"This is a love story with real thorns and a heroine you will weep for."--James Salter, author of Light Years and Last Night

Boston Globe

About the Author

Maria Semple is the author of This One Is Mine and Today Will Be Different. Before turning to fiction, she wrote for Mad About You, Ellen, and Arrested Development. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker. She lives in Seattle.