The funniest, freshest essayist since David Sedaris, Cindy Guidry examines American culture and present-day gender relations in all their confusing, heartbreaking, and hilarious glory. After losing both her job and a potential husband, Cindy sets off to figure out why on earth shes so happy and soon must combat an onslaught of unsolicited advice from her mother, her have it all friends, and a Yoda-like waxing lady, and the guy next door. Making pit stops along the way to ponder everything from the satanic origins of the Internet to her disturbing discovery that men are the new women, Cindy ultimately finds inspiration in her CD collection and renewed hope via a love letter from an Indian gas station attendant. Cindy Guidry is a self-aware woman with a razor-sharp wit, and in "The Last Single Woman in America" she takes us on an outrageously funny romp through her own unique mind, uncovering universal truths along the way.
aLabeled a memoir, this is really a collection of essays born from adversity. Guidry struggles to redefine herself while making the transition from film executive to unemployed Hollywood individual, and she continually encounters resistance in a landscape where being single is considered by many as being incomplete. But these are only some of the conflicts Guidry examines. No one is safe from her pen; the state of her parents' marriage comes under fire, and her neighbors, her ex-boyfriends, and even she herself are all targets. (She's careful to begin the book with a disclaimer stating that while these stories are emotionally true, some facts have been altered for effect.) The end product succeeds: Guidry does not take herself too seriously, and she has a sharp eye for comic detail. Although her observations about sex, gender relations, and the world today are pointed, for the most part, she handles her characters with gentleness. A fresh and funny first book that would make a good purchase for any popular collection.a
aAudrey Snowden, "Library Journal"
"Wickedly funny. Continuously rib-tickling except for the moments it reminded me that I'm ashamed to be a man"
aPaul Dinello, writer and co-star, "Strangers with Candy"
aLike a modern day Dorothy Parker, Cindy Guidry is wickedly observant and outrageously funny. Whether youare single or married, male or female, youall be captivated by Guidryas rollicking stories and unforgettable characters. And thatas just the start. "The Last Single Woman in America" is filled with tenderness, truth, power and pain, and one can only hope that this marks the beginning of a long-term relationship with a remarkable new writer.a
aBenSherwood, author of "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud" and "The Man Who Ate the 747"
