"fine urban family drama"

Director of Admissions at Manhattan's prestigious Hudson School, Libby Kimmelman loves the place and obviously respects it as a center of learning since she enrolled her daughter Reva at the school. The divorced Libby enjoys her job though at times she feels frazzled especially when the bribes to get in and thank you gifts after getting in arrive during open season.

Normally she skims over the application essays written by parents who believe hyperbole is the key, but the one written by Eric Donovan intrigues her as he is a ten year old new city resident just in from Woodstock, Vermont. Libby thinks the straightforward preadolescent would make a fine student. His widower father Ned is not pleased as his son used his credit card to pay the application fee over the net without permission and he cannot afford the $25K annual cost. Ned visits the school to withdraw Eric's application and get a refund, but he and Libby surprisingly feel an attraction to one another. She has doubts that he truly desires her instead of just using her to gain a scholarship while he wonders why a beautiful intelligent lady would fall in love with a carpenter.

THE FIXER-UPPER is a fine Manhattan contemporary romance in which the Hudson School serves as a matchmaker and potential match breaker bringing the lead couple together, but also school costs linger in their minds. The story line is character driven as the audience sees up close the frustrations of Libby with her job and her daughter, and Ned with starting over and his son's adjustment problems. Though there is little action, fans of urban family dramas will want to read Judith Arnold's astute tale.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted June 29, 2005