58. Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz...

From the back cover:

"Admissions. Admission. Aren't there two sides to the word? And two opposing sides...Admission. It's what we let in, but it's also what we let out."

For years, thirty-eight-year-old Portia Nathan has avoided the past, hiding behind her busy (and sometimes punishing) career as a Princeton University admissions officer and her dependable domestic life. Her reluctance to confront the truth is suddenly overwhelmed by the resurfacing of a life-altering decision, and Portia is faced with an extraordinary test. Just as thousands of the nation's brightest students await her decision regarding their academic admission, so too must Portia decide whether to make her own ultimate admission.

Admission was a well-written insight into snippets of Portia's life. Who she is, who she used to be. How she got here. When all the things that go into making her tick somehow gets off its beat, she has to figure out how to keep ticking. But only after deciding that she does want to keep ticking.

The characters are very detailed. I easily imagined Portia as she's off to visit the prep schools in her "area". Reviewing the applications when they come in. Shopping at Ann Taylor for the right clothes to make the right impression. Just as easy, was seeing her lost in depression. The narrative on the admissions process, for both student and college personnel, was interesting, to me. When I filled out the myriad forms, I never imagined that someone would look at them that closely. Then again, I don't think mine ever got the scrutiny that these students' applications get. Or I might still be living in a tropical country. Hmm... =)

Jean Hanff Korelitz is a new-to-me author. And after reading Admission, I promptly added some of her other books to my library list. Yup, still not done with my TBR pile. Yet. Admission will be released on April 13, 2009. Go get it.

Title: Admission
Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
ISBN-10: 0-446-54070-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-54070-4
Paperback: 449 pages (ARC)
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2009