Anita did a remarkable job writing Market Street this book will appeal to a wide variety of ages Mid 20’s - 40+. For me she did a great balancing act with the chick Lit and Women’s Fiction. I felt that we had two main characters in this book Cassie and Alexis both in their early 30’s and both realizing they need to make some changes in their lives. Cassie Blake Fenton is the heiress to Fentons a SF high end department store. She is not your typical department store heiress. She is more comfortable in jeans and mud boots working in her vegetable garden or at Alice Waters edible schoolyard.Alexis is a very happily married rich housewife who is getting a little bored decorating her mansion.Cassie lives in Berkeley and has been married for ten years to Aidan, an ethics professor at UC Berkeley. she finds out Aidan allowed himself (cough cough) to be seduced by one of his 20 something student. She moves in with her childhood friend Alexis while Alexis husband is out of town on business. The only things I have to say about Aidan is he seems like a very passive aggressive person, and I really don’t think this was the first time he was seduced by a student. The fun begins when Cassie’s mother wants her to do a Gourmet Food Emporium in the basement of Fentons. Reading about setting up the Food Emporium was my favorite part. Seeing what Cassie and James the architect envisioned come together with all the different cheeses, heirloom tomatoes breads, produce was great. going to talk to the growers and farmers finding a local artist to do the art for the Food Emporium was a nice touch. At the same time the store manager hurts his back and Cassie needs to find someone to help fast, she picks someone her mother is not going to be happy with. I kind of shook my head on this part of the book I have done retail for years, I wish things could work that smoothly in real life.This is fiction and not non-fiction so it made for a real good laugh and a couple of I wishes. Anita almost lost me at the end of the book, Alexa's is well on her way to finding out a lot about herself she is asserting herself with the people she needs to. I liked the end of her story. I didn't see Cassie the gardener wanting to be stuck down in the basement of Fentons. Maybe if it was a natural food co-op, and she could wear jeans, and a t-shirt find a way to get her hands in the dirt, but this is more gourmet and the clientele would be different. She kind of fixed the issues that I was having with the ending, of Cassie's story, but I feel that it is going to take Cassie a little longer to find herself. I will be reading Anita's other books.Quote that made me laughDerek has done a divine job for thirty years, but he’s as dated as an avocado refrigerator http://dianne1964.blogspot.com/2013/06/market-street-by-anita-hughes_27.html
