Ms. Demeanor: A Novel
Finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor
“Ms. Demeanor is a complete and utter delight. Of course it is. What Elinor Lipman novel isn’t?”—Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls and Chances Are . . .
“Who knew house arrest could be sexy and fun? Not me, at least not until I read Ms. Demeanor. Written with Elinor Lipman’s signature wit and charm, this breezy, engrossing novel tells the story of two people who make the most of their shared confinement.”—Tom Perrotta, New York Times bestselling author of Tracy Flick Can’t Win
“When a neighbor’s complaint about consensual al fresco sex turns into house arrest and a suspended legal license, Jane’s recipe for survival involves cooking for another home-arrested tenant (could this be a match made in confinement?) while trying to figure out the whys and hows of her mysterious accuser. Filled with food, family, romance and intrigue, Lipman’s novel cooks up a bounty of delights as sparkling as prosecco and as deeply satisfying and delicious as a five-star meal.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You
From one of America’s most beloved contemporary novelists, a delicious and witty story about love under house arrest
Jane Morgan is a valued member of her law firm—or was, until a prudish neighbor, binoculars poised, observes her having sex on the roof of her NYC apartment building. Police are summoned, and a punishing judge sentences her to six months of home confinement. With Jane now jobless and rootless, trapped at home, life looks bleak. Yes, her twin sister provides support and advice, but mostly of the unwelcome kind. When a doorman lets slip that Jane isn't the only resident wearing an ankle monitor, she strikes up a friendship with fellow white-collar felon Perry Salisbury. As she tries to adapt to life within her apartment walls, she discovers she hasn’t heard the end of that tattletale neighbor—whose past isn’t as decorous as her 9-1-1 snitching would suggest. Why are police knocking on Jane’s door again? Can her house arrest have a silver lining? Can two wrongs make a right? In the hands of "an inspired alchemist who converts serious subject into humor” (New York Times Book Review)—yes, delightfully.
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Community Reviews
This was a quick, easy, and breezy read that was the perfect way to kick off my spring break from my day job.
What I enjoyed about this book was the snarky, satirical, and witty writing, especially Jane’s dialogue with her sister. I loved the different elements that made this story unique. Lawyer gets house arrest, finds out another resident in her building is also on house arrest, they become friends then more than that. What I wasn’t expecting was the side story of figuring out how the woman who made the 9-1-1 call that got Jane arrested and detained had died shortly after she was put on house arrest. I loved Jane’s journey of re-establishing herself and who she is as a person throughout this whole house arrest process.
Why I’m not rating this higher is because I felt like there was a lot of plot and a lot of side stories shoved into 280+ pages and there wasn’t enough time for some of the more interesting side stories to be explored in a way that would be more satisfying. Because of how much was going on, I felt like the relationship between Jane and Perry felt rushed and disingenuous until the last 40-50 pages when they were finally done with their respective house arrests. But still, their jump in their relationship felt jilted and rushed which sucks. I feel like the book could’ve benefited from being a bit longer to truly explore some of these side stories more deeply.
Despite my critiques, it’s still a quick, easy, and funny read and Jane’s a pretty relatable and funny protagonist!
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