Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe

Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe
Jennie Shortridge
May 2008
400 pages

Tomorrow, as part of TLC Book Tours, I’m a tour stop for Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe. I read Love and Biology a few months ago, but I’ve been unable to write about it. I was thinking I’d have this post written well in advance. Hah! So much for being an over-achiever. It’s not that I didn’t like the book…far from it. I just didn’t know what to say, because it deserves so much more than it was good, you should read it. And also because I wasn’t sure what I really thought about the main character. In fact, she’s still making me think. So I’m going to start with the author, not the book.

You see, last month I had the pleasure of meeting Jennie Shortridge at the Book Group Expo. She is bubbly and enthusiastic, and so easy to talk to. I could go on and on about the author, but this is supposed to be about her book. Except that Jennie is easy to gush about…I am now a huge fan, and not just because she introduced Trish and me to Garth Stein and his twinkly eyes. Jennie, I’d still be gushing about you even if you hadn’t introduced us to Garth!

Jennie appeared at the Book Group Expo as part of the Wedlocked salon, with other authors who had written books about marriage. As part of the conversation, Jennie explained that she wanted to write about the worst thing that could happen in a marriage…and what would happen.

Love and Biology is about Mira, a woman settled into her life and marriage. She has arranged her life perfectly. She teaches at the local high school, has remodeled her house to her specifications, is surrounded by friends and family, and is happy with her husband. Her relationship with her daughter may not be what she wishes, but all-in-all, life is good. Then whammo…Mira is blindsided. In shock, she flees her marriage and her life, and finds herself in Seattle, working at a coffee shop. There, she looks back at her life and wonders how she became so complacent and settled. What happened to the young, passionate college student? And in reflecting on her past, Mira rediscovers herself.

I thought about this book for a long time after I finished it. Mira made some decisions that I’m still questioning, but as Jennie said at the Book Group Expo, Love and Biology ends with hope. I enjoyed reading about Mira’s journey.

Read the first chapter of Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe.
And check out the soundtrack for the book.

And stop back by tomorrow when Jennie will be here to talk about marriage.

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