Her Name Was Lola

May 24, 2004
Hoban (Riddley Walker
, etc.) spins a light, wry fantasy about a middle-aged writer's past misdeeds, faltering career and misapprehensions about love. Max Lesser, a writer of "novels that don't sell, children's picture books that do," is on his way to lunch when a smelly dwarf, invisible to all but Max, affixes itself to him. Named Apasmara ("forgetfulness" in Hindu mythology), the dwarf reminds him not to forget his long-lost love, Lola Bessington. Subsequent flashbacks reveal how Max met the youthful, well-to-do Lola at a London record shop and promptly decided that she was his "destiny." Of course, then he quickly enjoys a flirtation with a curvy Texan, Lula Mae Flowers. Both women get pregnant; Lola disappears; and, oh, the battles Max has with his logical mind. He also spars with his protagonist, Moe Levy, whose "Page One" he can't even write, and Charlotte Prickles, the popular hedgehog heroine of his children's series. Meanwhile, Lola, accompanied by her new son Noah, finds enlightenment at a Zen center called Diamond Heart, where she learns to play the sarod and composes a raga that will eventually bring her and her love together again. Hoban's quirky, tender tale progresses in brief chapters and playful leaps to come looping back full circle; some readers will enjoy the journey, while others will find that Hoban's form trumps his content. Agent, Bruce Hunter.

July 1, 2004
Hoban, author of the classic Frances children's books, offers a black comedy about modern love. Max, a writer struggling with his next novel and meanwhile paying the bills with his children's books starring hedgehog Charlotte Prickles, is torn between two lovers. First, he met Lola, an aristocrat from a British family, and proclaimed her his destiny woman. A few days later, as he and Lola are exploring the National Gallery, he meets Lula Mae, a Texan transplant working in London for a technology company. Suffering from writer's block and the guilt of romancing two women at once, Max argues with himself about the best course of action. Inevitably, he is found out. Lola cannot believe he has been two-timing her and leaves in a hurry. Soon after, Lula Mae, who is pregnant with Max's child, takes off for the States, saying she doesn't need him. Max is left wondering how he managed to get himself into such a mess and how he can win his destiny woman back. This quick read, which is broken into many short chapters and reveals the tale in flashback, should appeal to fans of modern British comic writing. Recommended for public libraries.-Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metro. Lib., OH

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2004
Hoban, author of a best-selling picture book series about a whimsical badger named Frances, as well as several novels for adults, including the cult classic " Riddley Walker" (1980), again offers something completely different. This wonderfully funny, refreshing, and compelling love story will grab readers from the moment they meet clueless Max Lesser, a children's book author and somewhat successful adult fiction writer who is suffering from a major case of writer's block. When Max meets Lola Bessington, he declares her his "destiny woman." All other women pale in comparison to Lola--except for the lovely Lulu Mae Flowers, who signals the beginning of a major life catastrophe for Max. Hoban gives the reader a rare glimpse into a writer's creative process, using the story-within-a-story-within-a-story structure to good effect and making the most of Max's ongoing conversations with his phantoms and his own characters. Delivering a metaphorical kick in the pants to those who live too much in our minds, this delightful novel urges us to live our destiny and stop postponing our dreams.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)