Book Review: The Ghost of Greenwich Village, Lorna Graham

For Eve Weldon, moving to Greenwich Village is a dream come true. She’s following in the bohemian footsteps of her mother, who lived there during the early sixties among a lively community of Beat artists and writers. But when Eve arrives, the only scribe she meets is a grumpy ghost named Donald, and the only writing she manages to do is for chirpy segments on a morning news program, Smell the Coffee. The hypercompetitive network environment is a far cry from the genial camaraderie of her mother’s literary scene, and Eve begins to wonder if the world she sought has faded from existence. But as she struggles to balance her new job, demands from Donald to help him complete his life’s work, a budding friendship with a legendary fashion designer, and a search for clues to her mother’s past, Eve begins to realize that community comes in many forms—and that the true magic of the Village is very much alive, though it may reveal itself in surprising ways. -Goodreads summary.

The Ghost of Greenwich Village was not at all what I expected. It started off a bit slow for me, but once the story really got started, I was hooked. Lorna Graham, who formerly wrote for multiple news stations, sprinkled a lot of fun details throughout Eve’s experience that made the story very realistic. The characters were well developed and by books end, they felt like old friends. Eve really grows throughout the story, going from a girl desperately chasing her mother’s ghost to a confident young woman, making her own choices. I didn’t really expect to like Donald, but I ended up loving him!  He’s self-absorbed, rude, and his writing style is awful. But when his past is finally revealed, he’s the most sympathetic character in the book. The relationships built throughout the book are complex and believable. I felt like I was part of Eve’s group of friends. There were several fashion references that went over my head, but they weren’t vital to the story line, so don’t worry if you aren’t a fashionista!  This was a great debut, I will definitely add Ms. Graham to my “watch list.”

Rating: 4 stars


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