The To-Do List published January 2015 by Booktrope Editions December, 23, 2014
By JC Miller
We meet Ginny Cooper in her kitchen where she’s contemplating a stale donut and negotiating the day’s calorie count with herself. Her husband, Cal, browbeats her for her weight and she dumps the donut into the garbage, belittled. Her two kids don’t offer her any more respect than Cal, and her tedious job in a town that is dying doesn’t offer Ginny any relief. She needs an Arbys. But she’s a busy woman—she needs a list to keep track of the myriad details of her day: Buy milk, walk the dog, clean the garage, kill Cal.
Ginny remembers a time in college, before she and Cal met when she was self actualized and she wants to become that woman again. That woman didn’t manically count calories or soothe herself with Arbys. That woman wasn’t a doormat for an uncaring and arrogant man. She fantasizes about meeting someone new who will affirm her and joins an on-line dating service, but she submits a photo of someone else.
Ginny’s journey to empowerment is rough at times, bittersweet at times, and inspiring at times. Readers may feel impatient for her false starts and back-sliding, but ultimately Ginny takes charge of her own happiness. This is a story that doesn’t come with a predictable ending, but it delivers satisfaction. Her last to-do-list might read:
- Breathe
- Relax
- Smile
And she’s sure to do just that. Even if the garage still needs cleaning.
At the launch of The To-Do List February 1, 2015
The To-Do List and JC’s other books, Believing in Bigfoot, and Vacation are available through Amazon
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