I must admit that since reading Compromising Positions in 1978 (35 years ago! when I was 15!), I have been a Susan Isaacs fan. Her books simply hook me everytime. I think it's her characters. They ring true to me, I root for them, I sympathize with them, despite the fact that they are all really outside of my everyday life experience. And, for the most part, Goldberg Variations hit the same mark. I liked Daisy and Raquel and Matt. They were fully formed, flawed, and funny. They were human. I wanted them to have a good and happy life, including a relationship with their downright awful Grandmother. There are flaws in the book: Gloria, the main character, was the least believeable (IMHO). There was something missing -- It doesn't bother me if a character is unpleasant or unlikeable, as long as I can see why the author believes in this person. I didn't feel that Isaacs was really an advocate for Gloria. Also, the business premise sounded improbable and odd to me. But these are really minor quibbles. I would recommend the book to anyone who likes well crafted family stories with heart and humor and chutzpah.

- Recommended by Melissa