The Book Diva's Reads

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, unless you're Rachel Goldman then you might make lemon custard or use the lemon to roast a chicken. Rachel Goldman is the main character in Life From Scratch by Melissa Ford. Rachel has just gone through a divorce and must decide what she wants to do with her life.

Rachel is a 34-four-year old woman that was married for 12 years and has been divorced for less than a year. She has taken a year off from her job as a graphic artist working for the New York Public Library. She didn't hate her job but she just isn't quite sure what she wants to do, so she decides to learn how to cook and document it on a blog. Rachel thinks of her blog as a food or cooking blog but after she's nominated for and wins a Bloscar (an award for various blogs in assorted genres), she realizes that her blog is basically an online diary and the best therapy available. Her other "therapist" and confidante is her best friend Arianna.

Post-divorce Rachel discovers that she enjoys being an aunt since she never had children. She also learns that she has been a lousy friend by ignoring what has been happening (or not happening) in Arianna's life. It was somewhat amusing to see Rachel fall in lust with Gael, the Spaniard with the gorgeous smile. At first glance they seem to be made for one another with their similar interests, but Gael isn't the man Rachel thinks he is or exactly what she wants. What she discovers she wants is her ex-husband...pre-law practice. Ultimately Rachel discovers that life goes on after a divorce, it may take awhile to grieve over the relationship but that's fine. Rachel seems to epitomize the average woman that has gone through a non-acrimonious divorce. You may not be able to go back and change the past but you can start from scratch using the lessons learned from past experiences and mistakes. Life From Scratch is a sometimes humorous but realistic look at life after divorce. A quick and good read for anyone...married or single!