Borrowed Lives

by Laramie Dunaway

Book Overview

When tragedy takes the life of her friend, Wren, Luna--a dissatisfied divorce+a7e--assumes Wren's identity, enjoying a new boyfriend, a fabulous job, and danger. By the author of Hungry Women. 20,000... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446365300
• ISBN13: 9780446365307
• Release Date: April 1995
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

What if you could be someone else?

Reviewed by Karrie Grobben for RebeccasReads (10/08) Borrowed Lives, the impossibly funny and charmingly crass rollercoaster ride of a novel, is Laramie Dunaway's second book and tells the story of Luna, whose going-nowhere life takes a violently sudden turn when her insomnia-suffering friend Ratface begins firing at random one night--injuring Luna herself and taking the life of her brilliant, beautiful best friend, Wren. Though traumatized by the event, it gives Luna a much-needed jolt and allows her to see the essential waste of a life she is leading. While Wren was gorgeous, funny and a full-fledged genius that had earned several degrees in various subjects and was on the cusp of what promised to be a wonderful career, Luna merely trudged through life. Her academic job as an English PhD student was both unfulfilling and badly paid. Her ex-boyfriend, whom she continued to be obsessed with, was in love with someone else. Her mother having died, her anthropologist father was both absent and apparently engaged to a fifteen-year-old in a third-world country... With Wren dead and her own prospects looking ridiculously gloomy, Luna latches on to a sudden idea: why not simply cast her own life aside and borrow someone else's? Let's face it; Wren's was looking pretty good. So the toils of our rambling, lovable, put-upon heroine begin--and only become more complicated. The story asks us to occasionally stretch our credulity when, for example, we discover that all of Wren's interviews were conducted by e-mail or phone and so Luna need merely fake some paperwork and move to a new city to take Wren's dream job as a writer at a newly-vamped high profile magazine. It isn't long before she gets into hot water, however, and in the space of just a few days, feels herself being subtly pushed out by an intimidated colleague. Having, in her total experience, dropped the ball when she was given the assignment to cover a shocking murder case on her first day; her easily disillusioned boss yanks her off the story. But strangely enough, inhabiting Wren's life and with Wren's reputation, Luna finds herself being somewhat disinclined to being patronized and manipulated like this. While the old Luna more or less accepted the essential irritability that came with her job, Luna as Wren is now more than determined to write the story. Though she does not have Wren's brilliant mind, she does have guts--and it is more or less through feistiness and determination that opportunities come knocking her door down. Soon the previously terminally single young woman has more or less fallen into a love affair with a handsome, funny, wealthy guy who offers her (in bed) the opportunity to write a script based on the very murder case she was originally assigned to cover. Yet just as happiness appears as achievable as stealing someone else's identity, Wren's ex-con ex-husband appears on the scene, happily moves into her apartment without asking and all too willingly accepts the

Witty and Clever

Borrowed Lives, by Laramie Dunaway is a sinfully clever tale. Issued for a reprint in October of 2008, the first edition was published in 1992. I find the author's story almost as intriguing as the book. Laramie Dunaway, a pseudonym for Raymond Obstfeld, has written over forty other books and screenplays. He teaches creative writing at Orange Coast College and is a contributing editor to Writer's Digest magazine. He is a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller for a previous publication. He was also nominated for an Edgar Award. He created the pen name, Laramie Dunaway, for this series out of fear he would not be taken seriously as a man writing as a woman. He quote, "came clean", with this edition. He resides in Tustin, California with his family. Luna Devon finds herself at a stalemate. She was writing her thesis, applying for teaching positions, and in the process of a divorce. She's timid, predictable, and boring. Her best friend, Wren Caldwell, however, is not. She's quirky, gorgeous, and outrageously brilliant. When a bizarre shooting takes Wren's life, Luna makes the decision to reinvent herself... as Wren! Taking the position as a journalist for a trendy California magazine and beginning a romance with a man who just wants her to be herself, Luna aka Wren is in deeper than she imagined. Her ex, Byron shows up ready to go along with the scam. She falls in with a group of ecological terrorists. Her father has taken a preteen Indian medicine woman for his new wife. Luna swiftly discovers her life is the stuff movies are made of. As with most reprints, the book is a bit outdated with current styles and events. It also had several grammatical errors, but I had the galley copy and expect these will be corrected before publication. Laramie Dunaway skillfully creates a masterpiece of intelligence, humor, and intrigue with Borrowed Lives. The characters were relatable and believable. There were aspects of the book that the reader will know is coming, such as the shooting in the beginning of the book. However, the author puts such a spin on it that you can't help but feel shocked anyhow. Even the twists had twists. The writing style of this miraculous story is so unique that it's impossible to put down and draws you in at the first chapter. Borrowed Lives is a sassy, brazen, and witty story, sure to entertain any audience. Kelly Moran, Author and Reviewer

A hilariouse, touching and gripping book - un-put-downable!

Luna is a very likable character who you easily become very fond of as we watch her accidentaly fall into - and take over - the life of her best friend Wren - who is dead. She is swept along by how easy it is to become Wren - who seems to have had it all. One fatal day someone who knew the real Wren comes along - her ex-convict husband - and totally throws Luna. This twist in the tale results in some hilariouse one-liners and witty comments on life. Luna and Wrens husband become involoed in each others lives and Luna becomes convinced that the husband is up to somthing highly illegal - which leads to a cat and mouse tale around the city ending up in a most unusual setting! The book is very funny and had me laughing outlound throughout. well worth a read!

Borrowed lives witty and unique

This is one of the few novels that I cannot get out of my head years after I read it. Borrowed Lives has some of the most unique characters I have ever come across. The surprises and twists in the story keep the reader glued in their chair and yet it all seems plausible. Laramie Dunaway is a gifted writer and I look forward to reading more from her.

This is a laugh-out-loud book!

The plot is twisted, the characters are fascinating and the situations are so improbable, (except maybe in Hollywood), that I loved escaping into this book. I have recommended this book to many and they have enjoyed it, too. Laramie's other two books are excellent, but this is her best.