Book Review: In the Bag

What a delightfully cute little novel.  I will admit that I am a big fan of Kate Klise's children's books.  Many of them are written with journals, newspaper articles and letters.  This novel, for grown-ups, chose a similar style with a more sophisticated story line (a small amount of bad language and a more casual view of sex than I care for).

In the Bag tells the story of four characters whose lives briefly intersect on a flight from Chicago to Paris.  Andrew Nelson and his teenage son, Webb, are headed for Madrid to work on an art display Andrew is designing.  Daisy Sprinkle and her teenage daughter, Coco, are headed for a week of vacation in Paris.  When Andrew accidentally spills wine on Daisy's expensive outfit, he is both mortified and taken with her.  He decides to slip a note of apology, mixed with an invitation for a date, into her purse before exiting the plane.

Coco and Webb's lives intersect when the two accidentally mix up bags.  Webb ends up in Madrid with Coco's clothing and Coco ends up in Paris with a pair of work boots, t-shirts and dirty jeans.  Thankfully, Coco has tucked her e-mail address into the side of her bag, so Webb is able to contact her via e-mail.  This begins an adventure of correspondence and leads to a clandestine meeting in Paris, unbeknownst to the two parents who are also beginning to strike up their own tangled relationship.

The novel was an easy read, full of humor and relational angst.  The cover describes it as "a tale of two suitcases, three cities, four people, and one big mix-up..."  I loved it.  I read this book in a little over a day's time.  It was a pleasant diversion while watching my youngest jump and play at a birthday party Saturday night and a great Sunday afternoon leisurely read.  I hope Kate Klise continues to come up with her light-hearted, entertaining stories for both children and adults.

The inspiration for this book came when Kate Klise herself found a note from a fellow passenger in her carry-on bag after a long flight.  It just goes to show you that you never can tell where or when the germ for a good story might come your way.  Thankfully, Kate followed up on the story idea even if she might not have followed up on the passenger's note!