The Page Turner
Viola Shipman
Graydon House
Wade Rouse, a man, writes convincingly as Viola Shipman primarily because the pen name and the stories themselves are deeply personal tributes to his own grandmother, Viola Shipman. Rouse isn’t just pretending to be a female author. He’s writing from a place of profound love and respect for his grandmother.
Emma Page comes from a highly literary family. Her parents founded The Mighty Pages publishing house geared toward works that are worthy but aren’t attractive to a major publisher seeking popular fiction that’ll make millions. The Pages move in a rarefied atmosphere of high society. Emma does not. A recent graduate of Michigan University, Emma has always known she wanted to write, an ambition encouraged by her beloved grandmother, GiGi. Emma has written a full-length novel, but she knows her parents will look down on her efforts as being populist and unworthy of their attention. She’s pretty sure her older sister Jess, a major influencer, will feel the same.
The Mighty Pages is in financial trouble. Emma’s parents are keeping up appearances but are set to sell GiGi’s much-loved home on the shore of Lake Michigan. Emma loves the house and has always felt both at peace and inspired there. Trouble brews when arrogant misogynistic best-selling author Marcus Flare gets involved with the firm. Emma dislikes him on sight. She wonders why her parents can’t see through him—then she discovers Flare has an agenda not only to destroy her family but to coerce her into his bed. How can she break Flare’s hold? Emma discovers GiGi had a secret that could break the hateful Flare, but Emma must use all her cunning and a strange alliance if she’s to save her family.
The Page Turner is a beautiful hymn to family love and loyalty, blended with the author’s love for writing and home state of Michigan. Emma is a terrific, spunky character, and Flare the kind of loathsome bad guy that makes you want to take a hot shower after encountering him. A great summer read.
