A fantastic book about the publishing industry, ghostwriting, motherhood, and politics. Heidi Pitlor's IMPERSONATION will keep you hooked with the jaw-dropping reveals about how political memoirs are often written. Weaving in actual current events with compelling characters, this is a multi-layered novel that becomes even more impressive upon further reflection (and fans of Virginia Woolf's TO THE LIGHTHOUSE will benefit from an added layer of depth).

I read Heidi Pitlor first book back in March. I had found it a little odd stylistically but the subject matter--a wife disappears--was interesting and dealt with in a serious fashion that this current trend to the sensational in publishing rarely seems to do well.
This book is about another woman on the margins of middle-class life but in a different way. Allie Lang is a professional ghostwriter and single mother. After a man who's memoir she is nearly finished writing is accused of sexual assault, she finds herself out of a job and low on cash. She gets picked to ghostwrite the parenting memoir of a famous feminist right around the time of the Trump election. You'd think that would be easier but the subject refuses to give Allie any material to work with so Allie increasingly adds details to the memoir from her own single motherhood, a move that ultimately proves explosive. </p>


I loved the parts about being a working-class writer. As the author of several cookbooks, I know you do not make as much money writing books as you would think and that you are paid in small chunks until the book is completed. I also had a book pulled years ago over an issue totally unrelated to me and only ended up with a kill fee and not the several more thousand dollars my contract was for. I can only imagine how much worse that is as a single mother. I did not relate to Allie's personality much, she was very passive and unsure of herself for most of the book but I really did relate to her situation and felt like the book did an excellent job of illustrating the actual work of the every day freelance writer. Spoiler: it's not as well paying and glamorous as it may seem.
I felt like the book faltered a bit at the end. Allie took the blame for something that I didn't feel was entirely her fault. I liked the acceptance that even in progressive, feminist circles those in power step over everyone else to get there and that even those who seem to have it all, clearly don't. I loved the first 7/8th of the book but that last bit just seemed forced--the working on the campaign part was rushed and I had to read a couple passages twice to understand what exactly had happened, something I rarely have to do. A lot happened in a very short period of time and then the book just ended. </p>

Allie Lang us a ghostwriter. who also does landscaping to get by in the Berkshires. She has a 4 year old son, and a sometimes boyfriend who lives in her basement. Two of her writing contracts go wrong, and the story is just riveting. Well written, lots of humor, relatable characters.

This is a fun read with a message. The author makes it so clear that women have to choose what roles to play...mother or career? And in this case, the mother makes a career out of trying to turn a career woman into a mother in order for her to advance her career. Clearly neither woman is rewarded by her choices. The single parent struggles to make financial ends meet, and the successful career woman attempts to reclaim the mother role (at least superficially) to appear genuine. There is humor, pathos, and triumph in this easy read, and women of any age will relate.

Gave this one a fighting chance as I was excited for it based on the description and reviews; I hate to say I didn’t see the appeal. Maybe bad timing for me.