Storytime Sunday (Pushing Upward)

"Pushing Upward"

by:  Andrea Adler

  The Storyline:  It's 1974 and 21 year old aspiring actress Sandra Billings is in a very confusing place in her life.  She is working so hard at being an actress but nothing seems to be working out for her.  Her and her friend Rachel decide to try out the I Ching (an ancient Chinese oracle) to help decide the correct path to take. 

  We witness Sandra attempting to find a place to stay when she is evicted from her apartment.  She places an ad and uses the I Ching to help her decide what to do.  There is quite a bit of humor in this part of the story.  She ends up with an elderly woman whom she stays with in exchange for cooking and cleaning. 

  Sandra's career is slow to progress but once it does it really goes quickly.  She meets connections through Emma (the elderly lady) who help her break into the acting scene.  She also meets a couple of men and again the I Ching has influence on her decisions. 

  Here is what mommy in PA thought of the book:  I really liked it.  It was easy to read and the chapters are all super short which is helpful when you pace yourself like I do when reading.  There were only a couple of spots about 3/4 of the way though the book where I was bored and it only lasted for a couple of pages. 

  I love how the author doesn't make Sandra seem like some stuck up and snobby person.  She has issues with her past and also food binge issues that she deals with throughout the book. 

  I really like the character Emma.  She is so wise and knowledgeable which is just the opposite of the main character.  The two characters work well together. 

  The author takes you through a great range of emotions in the book too.  There is comedy, excitement, and sadness.  You never know what is going to happen next.  Just when you think everything is going good for Sandra something comes out of nowhere to leave you guessing. 

  This is a great book for anyone looking to learn more about how things go in the theatre business or who are interested in the I Ching (there is a section all about it in the back of the book).  Great entertaining read!

  To order your own copy of "Pushing Upward" you can do so by going here.

Disclaimer:  I received this book for free from Hay House Book Nook in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions remain my own.