Second Draft of My Life

By Sara Lewis

Book Overview

Forty-two years and five books into her life, Charlotte Dearborn abandons her noncommittal boyfriend and her sinking-ship writing career, and becomes an elementary school teacher. Sure, she's giving up her dream of being a famous novelist, but in exchange she'll find a stable income, job satisfaction, and maybe even love. At least that's how it'd work if she were a character in one of her novels. In real life, she's busy coping with twenty yelling first-graders, a teacher's lounge full of nasty coworkers, and a series of romantic misadventures that fall far, far short of the real thing.
Charlotte's struggle to navigate the waters of a new career, a new single life, and the loss of her identity as a writer make Second Draft of My Life a funny, compulsively readable gem. From an author The Boston Globe applauded as "very, very good on the business of falling in and out of love," it is part romantic comedy, part manual for living, and wholly triumphant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743436709
• ISBN13: 9780743436700
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A visit to an old friend

How I enjoyed this book! It was a comfortable, genuine companion for me this past summer week...like taking a walk on the beach with a old friend. I was especially touched by Ms. Lewis's subtle descriptions of being single, e.g., on page 124(the description of the daily activites of the unmarried female relative). Charlotte is lonely, perhaps; unfulfilled, certainly--but she is not self pitying nor does she seem like a victim. Charlotte will be sure you laugh before you sigh. And, there is a celebration of individuality that you will never forget! What a great read.

Sara is Amazing

Sara knows how to talk to all of us. She lets Charlotte do the talking this time. Frustration, hope, humor, it's all there. She makes you love her while you want to give her a little shake sometimes. If we could only see ourselves the way others see us. When you finish this book you will see the value in Sara, Charlotte and yes, the value in you.

Let's hear it for teachers!

Charlotte Dearborn has published 5 novels but has not reached the success level she had hoped. She decides teaching 1st grade will be much more rewarding. Molding young lives, working with friendly co-workers (rather than the lonely life of an author) will be the life she wants.Up until the first day, this seems like a good plan......Trying to keep control of a group of children (and some mothers) is not as easy as she thought. And the other teachers don't seem to accept her as she had hoped. Maybe this teaching stuff isn't as easy as she had thought.There are very few books written about teachers (I don't know why) and with this one, we get a bonus - she reflects on her publishing experiences too.It's a GREAT book! Some reviewers have commented on the ending saying it doesn't fit. But the more you think about it (and you will), the more you will appreciate it.Now that I've finished the book I'm sending it to my daughter in Texas - she's a teacher and a very good writer herself.

Another favorite from my favorite author!

Second Draft of my Life is another example of why Sara Lewis is my favorite author. When I finished this book I felt that I had found a new friend in Charlotte Dearborn. I love the way the book is written from Charlotte directly to me, as if she's letting me in on her most private thoughts. The characters are so real that we can see people we know in each one. Second Draft of my Life is a MUST read. It would be a shame to miss out on meeting such an interesting person.

Looking for a perfect summer read?

I'll admit that I'm an unabashed Sara Lewis fan, and was thrilled to see that she had a new book out. SECOND DRAFT OF MY LIFE is sure to delight readers of her previous titles, and should attract new fans as well (these lucky folks will have three other novels and a book of short stories to catch up on!).The heroine of the book is Charlotte Dearborn, a talented but unsuccessful author whose novels got great reviews, but never caught on with the general public. Finally, Charlotte declares that she's through writing fiction (AND through with her unsupportive boyfriend). She gets a job teaching grade school. The book is primarily about her trials and tribulations as a teacher. While I've never been a teacher, Charlotte's ups and downs in the classroom seemed amazingly true to life. She also crosses paths with a number of potential Mr. Rights who all seem to turn into Mr. Wrongs.SECOND DRAFT doesn't sugarcoat Charlotte's despair -- in fact, it's a pretty dark book compared to the much more lighthearted THE ANSWER IS YES and BUT I LOVE YOU ANYWAY. If there's a flaw, it's that the ending seems TOO upbeat compared to what has come before, and I didn't quite buy it. However, if you're looking for a fun summer read that's well-written as well as just plain entertaining (according to the bio at saralewis.com, the author has written for the New Yorker AND Mademoiselle!), check out SECOND DRAFT OF MY LIFE.