It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club

By Michele Cozzens

2006 award winning author of "A Line Between Friends" and rising fiction star Michele Cozzens now brings us "It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club," the character-driven story of eight women who are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932172300
• ISBN13: 9781932172300
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Sandy Point Resort
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Some real "dice-y" women in this fun book

It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club, - instead it's Snake Eyes Dice Club. That's what the eight women of Rattlesnake Valley, Arizona call their monthly bunko (bunco) night out. Bunko is a popular, easy dice game that even has The World Bunco Association. Author Michele Van Ort Cozzens belongs to such a group, and from its members she got inspiration for the characters in the book. The women in this story come from a variety of backgrounds: Canadian Chloe, Hispanic Blanca, artist/alcoholic Tara, sophisticated boss's wife Sylvia, her oldest friend Brandy, Sylvia's husband's assistant Amanda, former model Tootsie, and writer Shonah. Most of them do have a connection to Sylvia, who started the group. It seems they are friends, but a year's worth of gossip and unfortunate circumstances cause them to doubt their loyalty to each other and then to prove it. The women pick on each other behind their backs, but when the chips are really down, they also come through for the others in a major way. Cozzens has put together a fun novel. Yet it isn't simply humor. There are real problems discussed and dealt with-particularly alcoholism, but also infertility, job loss and personal insecurity. She deals with the problems in a manner that feels quite realistic, like these women could be anyone's neighbors. Cozzens is also donating proceeds from this novel to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and that plus a good story, is why I recommend it. Armchair Interviews agrees.

A slice of life while playing dice! Would make a great movie!

When I first glimpsed the clever title of this book, I knew it was about the game of bunko because my daughter Allie belongs to a group who meets monthly for a fun night of friendship and female bonding ... without the distraction of kids, pets and hubbies. Award-winning author Michele Cozzens wrote this character-driven novel which is the story of eight middle-aged, middle-class women who gather monthly for a lively game of bunko (often called bunco), prizes and bonding in a fictional area of Arizona called the Rattlesnake Valley. The women are well-described on the product page, so no need to repeat that information. Suffice it to say that each of Cozzens's characters are different, with unique characteristics, personalities, family situations and problems. As months go by, these attractive, intelligent women get to know each other better, while forming separate alliances, pairing off as women do in real life. What intrigued me most about the women is that I have friends, neighbors and relatives who are similar to each of them. I related to them; laughing when they were happy, weeping when they were sad. Cozzens does not sugar-coat her characters; these women are just as vain, nit-picky, materialistic and gossipy as many of today's contemporary women, often stepping on each other's toes, misunderstanding one another, and biting back when offended. But, as in real life when any of them has a problem--whether minor or serious--the others are there to support them. So what happens when one of them admits to being an alcoholic? When another agonizes because she can't bear children? And yet another shuts herself off after losing a child, and another is faced with caring for an ill, aging father? The ultimate tragedy happens when one of them is drunk-driving and crashes into the automobile driven by the husband of another--with their teen-age son in the front seat. Will they be able to forgive her? How do the other friends react? Who ends up helping whom? And what roles do the mates of these women play? To learn the answers, of course, you must read this fascinating book; the many twists and turns will hold you spellbound. You may want to slap one or more of these women at one moment, while rejoicing with them the next, but overall, you'll appreciate the natural way friendships evolve over a period of time. "It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club" is a realistic, well-written page-turner that makes me proud to be a woman. It pulled me in from the very first page, and tugged at my heartstrings as I got to know these women better and better with each "roll of the dice," so to speak. This insightful look at women in our contemporary suburban culture sounds very serious, but it's sprinkled with humorous scenes that will have you holding your sides with laughter. Michele Cozzens has a winner on her hands, a novel that would make a movie on the order of "The First Wives Club." I can see any number of lovely stars--who are now in their early fortie

Well worth your time

My wife loved this book, here is her review: As women, we all have social clubs and clicks. Moreover, within those clicks are sub-clicks where everyone has an issue: like insecurity, a vice, self-doubt, or obsession. Seeing all this was the greatest part of this book. We all know a person who is like each character. It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club is a pleasant ride through the highs and lows of the modern middle class woman. We are living in an age where the role of women is ever evolving and being reevaluated. It's nice to read an author who doesn't take us too seriously, but still captures the essence of woman: we care.

Dicey business

Teams of women, playing Bunko Matching numbers, or they're sunko Trying to win lots of junko While enjoying getting drunko The above is an oversimplification, and not necessarily true in all cases, but the game of Bunko has tens of millions of female aficionados around the world, who meet for monthly social evenings sans husbands, children, extended families or pets. The game of Bunko provides the starting point for this story about eight women who take turns hosting the monthly theme parties. During, after and in-between games, the reader gets a first person look into each woman's life, and a firsthand look at their interactions with each other and their families. The story is set in the fictional town of Rattlesnake Valley, Arizona, and the rules for the Snake Eyes Dice Club are simple. Members must be fun, discreet, and be able to use expletives without reservations. No men, no kids, no drink counting. Now for a bit about the women: 1. Sylvia Ostrander formed the club. She is married to a wealthy attorney, loves designer clothes and Botox, but not necessarily in that order. 2. Shona Bartlett is the one featured most often. She's a 45 year old journalist and soccer mom who writes a column. Her husband is into real estate, and she has two sons. 3. Amanda Prince is a paralegal who works as an assistant to Sylvia's husband. A recent tragedy in her family leaves her bitter, angry and makes her a total beyotch 4. Tara Shephard lives next door to Shonah. She has a husband and two daughters. She is an accomplished potter, and owns a couple of galleries. She has also never met a bottle of vodka she didn't like. 5. Blanca Midnight Fernglen is a model and artist. She is a divorced mother of three. She works at Tara's gallery and sometimes exhibits her paintings. 6. Brandy Lynn is a physical therapist with a foul mouth and an acerbic wit. People get hurt when she's around. She is married to Levi, and between them they have five kids. 7. Tootsie Fennimore is a former LPGA player, and an expert at gift wrapping. She and her husband Michael are trying to have a baby. 8. Chloe Forrest is a Canadian, a part-time nurse and a full time scheduler. Married to Roger, she also keeps chickens and goats. Due to the large number of characters, there's a lot of repetition in the story, but this is necessary to help the reader keep things straight. Through good times and bad, you'll experience the lives of these women until you feel like you've known them all your life. Recommended for Bunko players, and girls who just wanna have fun. Rated: 4.5 stars Amanda Richards, August 28, 2008

Vodka on the Rocks with a Twist of Bunco

Michele Cozzens rolls the dice, shuffles the cards, and stirs up a mixed bag of emotions with her clever plot twists and rich characters. Whether you play Bunco, Bridge, or Scrabble, you'll relate to Cozzens' warm-hearted, funny, and intimate portrayal of the women's gaming clubs springing up around the world. I had trouble putting this book down. By staying in the first person and constantly shifting the point of view among eight (!) women, Cozzens has set a difficult task for herself. But she pulls it off, the result being a tightly-woven character study that's easy to read, fun, and well-crafted. At their monthy Bunco parties, the gals in the Snake Eyes Dice Club smooth the rough edges of their lives with gossip, laughter, and a little too much wine. The retired actress in me screams to play Amanda, a prematurely worn-out and bitter chain-smoking woman who has lost a child. She's sad, but she's also funny, as is Tara, a life-of-the-party red-headed hubba-hubba babe who can't put down her tumbler of kahlua-laced vodka long enough to realize her life (and her Mercedes) are careening out of control. The other six characters are equally lush with both comic and tragic details. Each of the women lives a unique life of quiet (or not so quiet) desperation. I think Cozzens has herself one heck of a screenplay here. She would have actresses lined up to play all of those wonderful roles. Think of it this way: THE WOMEN meets DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. But with a Rattlesnake Valley twist. Robin Meloy Goldsby is the author of Piano Girl: A Memoir