From Goodreads: Don Tillman, professor
of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count
all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty
with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for
romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a
“wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to
the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he
embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner
with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect
partner. She will be punctual and logical - most definitely not a barmaid,
a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver. Yet Rosie Jarman is all
these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent - and on a quest
of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a
certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project
takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship
blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the
spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie - and the realization that love is not
always what looks good on paper.
My Rating: 4.5 hearts
Thoughts on the Novel: Although I don’t normally read adult
novels, Rummanah from Books in the Spotlight's review of Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project convinced me to
add it to my wishlist. Then I found out that the author was an Australian, and
since I haven’t been disappointed by any Aussie authors so far, I knew I had to
give The Rosie Project a try.
I don’t think I’ve read a book yet where the main character is on the
autism spectrum, but there’s an allusion
that Don is on it. Case in point: He is quite rigid in his behaviour and
lacks the ability to understand social situations. In fact, Don’s inability to
interpret language figuratively often leads to amusing misunderstandings.
When Rosie enters Don’s life, she challenges Don to step out of his
box. At the same time, she accepts him for who he is, and asks that he do
the same for her. Their relationship – and how much it throws off Don – was
so fun to read about!
The Rosie Project was released on October 1, 2013 by Simon and
Schuster.
Comments About the Cover: I think it’s cute and effective because of
its simplicity.
