Verdict: A bold, yet sensitive story of three closely connected women living in the 1980's.

In her debut novel, Joan Lerner weaves a bold, yet sensitive story of three closely connected women living in the 1980′s.

All three are professionals in the field of Interior Design, yet each character has a distinct and often opposing voice when it comes to the issues of religion, morality and sexuality. The one thing that binds them closely is their determination to forge a life that is strong and not dependent on the choices made by a man. It is a prominent theme that continues throughout each of their stories.

Rose is a middle aged woman who has recently lost her controlling, abusive husband to suicide.  Feeling that she might have prevented his death leaves her vulnerable to the seductive behavior of a “Born Again” minister who convinces her to join his church. Her journey is almost catastrophic but she manages with the help of her family and supportive friends  to find her way back to an independent life.

Jane, a younger woman with her own design business, has just discovered that her husband is leaving her for his business partner, Charles. An ongoing theme in Jane’s life, she is profoundly effected by the AIDS epidemic that permeates the 1980′s. Instrumental in the formation of a woman’s clinic that deals with fertility and abortion, Jane is also host of a woman’s talk show, giving her the opportunity to speak openly about issues that effect women.

Eva, a young Afro-American woman, is involved in Jane’s design business. They are close friends, but their belief systems are often opposing. Eva has admitted to having an abortion, believing in a woman’s right to choose. She too is involved in the woman’s health clinic and serves as a counselor to those in need of confidential advice.

These women are intertwined, walking in and out of each other’s lives on a daily basis. Although on separate pages, they support, argue and cry over the very same life topics that all woman carry in their hearts.

Among Us Women is a dramatic testimony to the innate intelligence of all women who have the courage to look inward and walk forward.

Reviewed by Peggy LaVake

Holds degrees in English and Music.  Has commercial pilots license. A practitioner of Tai Chi. Teaches violin and viola. Performs classical music. Finds great satisfaction in writing. Has been published numerous times. Works daily on what she hopes to be her first novel.