The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan

The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan may be my favorite of her novels as it is a clever tale blending historical fiction about women in the advertising industry with stories about four seemingly unrelated marriages. The five timelines almost made my head spin, but in the end, it was so worth the effort.

The fictionalized account of Frances Gerety’s career in the advertising industry is the frame that holds the book together. Gerety was a pioneer along with others in the book in the advertising industry. She brought the slogan “A diamond is forever” into the vernacular, a signature line still used today after its inception in 1948.

The account begins in 1947 with Gerety hard at work on an advertising campaign for selling diamonds. Evelyn and Gerald start the 1972 timeline as she prepares a lunch for their wayward son who has left his wife for another woman. James worries that his wife Sheila could have done better in the marriage department as they struggle making ends meet as their account unfolds in 1987. The love triangle among Delphine, Henri, and PJ starts in 2003. Kate and Dan are purposely unmarried as they don’t believe in marriage in 2012 when Kate’s nephew is marrying his partner.

The layering of these stories makes for such a rich story-telling experience. The way Sullivan brings the narrative all together in the end will stay with me for a long time proving to me that she is a masteful storyteller. Her revenge scene is on the level of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.” No wonder Reese Witherspoon optioned the book for movie treatment.

This book was one of People Magazine’s Top Ten Books of 2013 and an Irish Times Best Book of the Year. Her fifth novel, Friends and Strangers, was released this summer. Sullivan has also written shorter pieces for publications such as The New York Times Book Review, The Chicago Tribune, New York magazine, Elle, Glamour, Allure, and Real Simple. She has written a couple of pieces about The Engagements and Frances Gerety including one at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-a-diamond-is-forever-has-lasted-so-long/2014/02/07/f6adf3f4-8eae-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html  Born in Massachusetts, Sullivan lives with her family in New York.