(35)Cleaning Nabokov's House by Leslie Daniels

To say that Cleaning Nabokov's House is quirky might be a bit of an understatement. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

Barb Barrett has had her world rocked. She decides to divorce her dreadful husband and in the process she loses her home and her children. She is literally homeless and at the end of her rope. She decides that she CAN make things right. She buys a home that once belonged to the famed author Vladimir Nabokov. She discovers an unfinished novel that she believes was the work of the great author. The experts do not agree. While discouraged, Barb does not give up. She knows that the lack of money is at the root of all her problems. So she sets out to fix that, by opening a brothel - a place where the women of her town can go for a, um - release.

Like I said, Cleaning Nabokov's House is a bit quirky. From a romance novel about Babe Ruth to Bull Danes, to a cathouse, Leslie Daniels takes us on a fun ride. At the heart of it is a woman desperate to do anything to get her kids back. You see Barb Barrett go from a meek housewife who knows nobody in the town she has lived in for years to a strong, independent woman who is making friends and becomes a recognized, beloved member of the community. The transformation is astounding. The writing is unique, albeit a bit choppy. It is a fast read that will leave you feeling as if you witnessed true "Girl Power".