A Big Storm Knocked it Over    by Laurie Colwin Order:  USA  Can Harper, 2021 (1993) Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Rheta Van Winkle Laurie Colwin's books are being reissued this year and I, for one, am delighted. A Big Storm Knocked it Over is about Jane Louise Parker and her friends. It takes place in the 1980s shortly after she marries Teddy. Jane Louise has had many boyfriends, but never was tempted to marry any of them until she met Teddy, a good listener who values her opinions. She is in her late thirties and lived with Teddy for a year before they got married. Jane Louise has been best friends with Edie since they met as roommates on their first day of college. All three have found jobs that they love in spite of not earning much. Jane Louise works in her dream job as a book designer at a publishing company, Teddy is a chemist in a small company, and Edie and her partner Mokie have their own catering company. Teddy was raised by his mother, 'who was a being without much interest in traditional gender roles: the perfect mother for a boy, since she taught Teddy what she knew about - gardening, bicycle riding, and bird identification.' His father was a straight-laced Brit who left them when Teddy was small and was married again to a woman who fit traditional wifely roles and rapidly produced three half-sisters for Teddy. His parents have detested each other ever since their divorce, and Teddy couldn't quite forgive his father for abandoning him, and never felt comfortable at their home during his childhood visits. His mother Eleanor came from an old New England family and gave Teddy a stable life in the same house and same neighborhood, where everyone knew the family and his best friend still lived. Jane Louise on the other hand never lived long in one place, and after her father died, her mother married a wealthy man and now traveled all over the world with him. Edie's family prefers her brothers to her and disapproves of her job -which they feel is beneath them - her life style, and her Black boyfriend, Mokie, who they refuse to believe is anything but her business partner. We are treated to a lively story about these four young people as they navigate their world and become transformed by love, marriage, and parenthood, without giving in to other people's ambitious ideas about what their lives should be like. The supporting cast of characters complicates matters for Jane Louise as she struggles with her feelings of never quite being good enough or fitting in, but Teddy, Edie, and Mokie keep her focused and in the end she triumphs over her fears. This is a book to be read slowly, savoring the humor and delightful writing, while cheering on the main characters. I loved every minute of it. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews