ACCIDENTAL TWISTS & TURNS — A REVIEW

In early 1995, Franny Banks sets a deadline for herself. She has lived in Manhattan for three years, trying to achieve her goal of becoming an actress. But the journey has been challenging, and she spends most of her time and energy waiting tables. And seeking auditions.

Immersed in acting classes and the occasional commercial, Franny feels her energy dissipating, as the progress is slow. At times it feels nonexistent. Then she starts interviewing agents, and signs with the second one she meets. She immediately gets a job…but then nothing happens afterwards. And the frustration mounts.

Her roommates, Dan and Jane, are fun characters who felt like people you might meet in the artistic world. Her crush on a classmate, James Franklin, sends up red flags, in my opinion. What will happen to Franny to turn her in a new direction? Will she finally achieve her goals, or will she change her career path entirely?

The time period reminded me of many things that are no longer part of our lives. Like pay phones instead of cell phones. The absence of the Internet in daily lives.

I enjoyed the premise of Someday, Someday, Maybe: A Novel, in that it reminds us that setting goals is only the first step in our journey. And that the path often takes us to unexpected places.

The story is narrated in Franny’s first person voice, accompanied by her Filofax entries inserted periodically through the chapters. Creative and fun. The story had some predictability, but with a few pleasant detours along the way. Four stars.