August 2010

I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of Sharon Pomerantz’s debut novel last spring. RICH BOY reminded me a lot of Herman Wouk’s classic MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, a book I’ve always loved. Like Herman did with Marjorie, Sharon just dropped me into the world of Robert Vishniak, a middle-class young man who finds himself in New York’s high society.

Sharon spent 10 years writing RICH BOY, and it shows, as all the details, dialogue and plot turns are just perfect.

One more note about RICH BOY. I have been looking for a book that envelops readers into setting and period like “Mad Men,” and this is the closest I have come. There are very vivid descriptions of setting and location in each decade beginning in the ’60s and moving up to modern times, and Robert is as detached emotionally as Don Draper.