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Some Assembly Required— Lynn Kiele Bonasia

At the beginning of Lynn Kiele Bonasia's debut novel Some Assembly Required, thirty-nine year old Rose's life seemed to be well in order; she has a career writing instruction manuals, lives in Boston, and is happy with her boyfriend of four years, Martin. But she finds herself in need of some instructions of her own when she discovers that Martin has been cheating on her. In search of a new beginning and the career as a reporter she always wanted, Rose decamps for the beach town of Nauset on Cape Cod and takes up residence in a cottage near the beach.

With wit and humor, Bonasia chronicles Rose's new life among Nauset's eccentric denizens, from a landlady who declares herself a trapezoid, to an artistically talented autistic boy, to the town's prodigal son who is chasing sobriety and just maybe Rose as well. She also finds herself embroiled in the preparations for the town's Tri-centennial and discovers the truth behind a long buried secret. Most of all, though, Rose uncovers the joy of a life lived without instructions but rather with laughter, spontaneity, and a sense of adventure.

Bonasia know the terrain intimately. A frequent summer visitor to the Cape as a child, she moved there permanently at age fifteen. As a year-round resident, she was initiated into the secret life of the beachfront communities, the characters, stories, and rituals that are seldom visible to the tourist or the casual visitor. Bonasia recounts on her website how she and her family "were ushered by new friends into a world of local hangouts and characters who often had little in common except their love of the sea." This background and knowledge comes through in the novel, infusing the story and the particular personalities who inhabit it.

This playful yet poignant book has received praise from a wide variety of sources. Publisher's Weekly said, "Bonasia's portrait of a waterfront community's triumphs and squabbles is as endearing as it is convincing." Booklist called it, "...a heartwarming yet not conveniently resolved tale of healing, self-discovery, and second chances...first time novelist Bonasia delivers a sweet and idiosyncratic portrait of small-town life with a wit and levity that suggest good things to come."

Bonasia studied creative writing at the graduate school at Florida International University where, feeling nostalgic for her Cape Cod past, the novel grew out of her graduate thesis. The book also proved to offer prescient advice for her own life. After an unanticipated divorce, she realized she and unwittingly written in her novel an instruction manual for herself. Once more living in New England, Bonasia is now working on a new novel, centering on what she calls "one of those Clam-this and Lobster-that restaurants."

Author's website: www.lynnkielebonasia.com

--Caroline Patton