Ghostwriter Allie is used to stepping into someone else’s shoes and wearing their identities for months at a time. This level of method acting or getting into her subject’s head is required for pulling off a convincing read in someone else’s voice. Unlike actresses however, Allie never gets to take the credit for her work. Some charismatic headliner or successful business woman gets to put their pretty picture on the cover of her books and watch their faces climb the best seller lists. But Allie does not care for the accolades. She just wants to make a good enough living to support her son Cass.

Writing for condescending and sometimes sexist stars can make her job frustrating at times, but Lana Breban, feminist advocate, might be her most challenging client yet. Known for her blue cropped hair and no-nonsense style, Lana is an immigrant who has made her place in the world and has fought for the rights of other women. Allie looks up to her but as she tries to gather personal information for her book, Lana is not very forthcoming. Now that Lana is running for Senate she is not sure if her brand of motherhood appeals to the masses. As she tries to soften her public image Allie’s humble life and experiences seem more of the stuff that voters would like.

Impersonation asks a lot of questions not just about politics, but how we view women and how we judge mothers. Pitlor does start the conversation about modeling feminism for our younger generation in the hope to raise more compassionate and loving men for tomorrow. In the book, Allie tackles with the limits imposed on children by the genderization of babies. She strives to raise Cass in a gender-neutral setting offering him traditionally “feminine” toys like dolls to play with alongside trucks and cars. She also allows Cass to wear clothing of different types and colors but recognizes that other parents are not so open to little boys in pink. Nor will these parents chastise their children for being cruel. Bad behavior is usually explained away as “boys will be boys”.

Although I do not not think everything about motherhood is a feminist discussion, I do feel that oftentimes people feel they have the right to assert themselves in personal matters that are none of their business.

To breast feed or bottle feed? Which is right is a decision made between that mother and that child. I’ve breastfed four children. One I was able to feed on demand. With another we only lasted two months before switching to formula only. A third child was nibbling on chicken bones by 4 months old. The last took to bottle and breast equally. It made him no nevermind how he was eating as long as he had some type of food in his mouth.

What is the right way to disciple your child? Do you give them time out, take away privileges or use rewards as incentive for good behavior? What works with one child does not always work with the next. Nor does it work with the same child day in and day out. Whether she has one child or five, every mom needs to be quick witted and carry many tools in her arsenal.

Impersonation is in part an ode to the many hats that women wear as we make our way through American society. Daughter. Wife. Single mother. Career woman. Sometimes we wear a multitude of titles and they all carry a heavy weight loaded with the expectations of others. Ultimately, it is up to us to decide what works best for our own happiness and learn to advocate for what we want. Don’t apologize for who you are just because it does not fit the definition of who someone else wants you to be.

The premise of this novel was fantastic; a struggling, single mother ghostwrites memoirs while her own life gets messier and more complicated. Sadly, there was too much crammed into this book for the parts that shined to not be dulled by the parts that didn't. The drama between the main character and the feminist icon she is ghostwriting for is sharp and telling. Disappointingly, it is dulled by the forced relationships with other woman around her, including a tense relationship with her mother, a decling elderly neighbor and other mom frenemies. It's an average read. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

This book gave me much to think about and if you want to rethink every book that you have ever read by a politician or famous person, this book will challenge your belief of whether they really wrote it, and how much is true. Impersonation promises to be a read touching on ghostwriting, feminism, politics, public image and much more. In about 350 pages, it delivers a lot of information, sometimes factual as Allie researches the ideas Lana wants her to pursue, sprinkled with Allie’s life history. Though most of the book progresses at a slow pace, the last 30% delivers punches and has to be taken seriously.

On First Hand Experiences
Allie is a single mother. She has been in relationships but Cass is her family. Throughout the story, Allie is faced with the harsh realities of counting on a short-term partner who is dealing with his own identity crisis. She is the one who has to put food on the table, pay rent for their house as well as make sure that Cass is growing up with good role models. I liked learning about her struggles with parenthood, the challenges of being tight on money but wanting to give her son the opportunity to socialize with other kids.

It was often hard for Allie to work and without Lana giving her the right information to work with, it wasn’t surprising that Allie had to take inspiration from her own experiences as a mother. Every family is different and though the book that Allie was ghostwriting for Lana was about Lana and her son, Allie’s experiences as a mom came in handy. However, Lana did not give her enough material to help portray a family with her husband. When inspiration comes from experiences, the lack of them can leave gapping holes, and imagination has to kick in big time to make up for that.

On Self-Advocacy
Impersonation is a very real book. Money and status often trumps talent and a person’s desperation to have food on the table wins over keeping their pride and name. No matter what happened, Allie got a major lesson in self-advocacy through this whole episode, and though I do not know if she would have continued to live by it, Lana gave her a fair chance. Lana did see her hard work though I found her quite passive and resigned to how she was a puppet herself in the game of politics.

Is Impersonation a feminist book? Does Lana live by her feminist ideals? You will have to read it to find out. Through forums with fellow ghostwriters and Allie’s story itself, you’ll get a glimpse of what a single mom ghostwriting a book might look like. There is promise of money but is no guarantee and there is definitely no fame. Lots to think about with this book!

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Impersonation was interesting and insightful book. The book explore different topics such as politics, motherhood, the me too movement and the 2016 Election. Allie Lang hired to write feminist lawyer Lana Breban's memoir. Lana had no interest in her own book or sharing anything about herself with Allie.

Both of these women face criticism for their mothering and careers, but there was also a clear class and privilege difference between them. In this way, the book explores how feminism can mean completely different things depending on societal class and race. The story was mostly character driven.

Thanks to Algonquin Books and Heidi Pitlor for the book.

The main character of this novel, Allie, is a struggling single mother who works as a ghostwriter, and is hired to ghostwrite the memoir of a famous feminist personality named Lana, who has pretty much no interest in her own book or sharing anything about herself with Allie. Allie comes to life as such a real character with struggles you can feel, such that even though my life is not much like hers, I could really feel her stress while reading it. This was definitely an interesting and thought-provoking book. It explores feminism both overtly and more subtly through its themes, and definitely makes the personal political as well. There’s a lot to unpack - I think this would make a good book club book.

Impersonation is a very self-aware age of the #metoo feminist novel.

The plot follows a ghostwriter for a celebrity activist and hyper focuses on what economic status emotionally and physically allots for in regard to parenting.

I picture the ideal reader being an earnest baby feminist teen who gets a thrill from seeing in their memory political headlines referenced. Some valid points are made, but nothing new, nothing mind blowing, and nothing that goes too deep.

Allie Lang is three things: a professional ghostwriter, struggling to make ends meet and the single mother to a young boy.

Lana Breban is a lawyer, economist, and advocate for women’s rights who wants to reach the top. When she and her colleagues decide she needs help, they think a memoir of her life as a mother to her son is just what they need.

Soon, not just Lana is trying to make Allie's life difficult and even her boyfriend does.

Impersonation is funny, true-to-life and also a kind of satire about life, what it is to juggle work, raising children and fighting for who you want to be in a competitive world.

Thanks to Heidi Pitlor and Algonquin for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This book combines commentary on motherhood and class/privilege with a readable, bittersweet story about a mother who is just trying to do the best for her son while navigating her tumultuous job as a ghostwriter.

Pros:

The word “ghostwriter” in the synopsis made my ears perk up. I love reading books that have to do with writers or publishing, and ghostwriting is such a fascinating job in that realm. I really enjoyed reading about Allie’s writing process and relationships with her celeb clients.

I also really liked the way relevant issues were built into the plot of this story. There are so many challenges for mothers at every stage of their kids’ lives, and they so often run into “you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t” traps.

I especially liked how the author juxtaposed Allie’s and Lana’s lives. Both of these women face criticism for their mothering and careers, but there was also a clear class and privilege difference between them. In this way, the book explores how feminism can mean completely different things depending on societal class (and race, though this isn’t explored as much here).

Cons:

Allie as a character bothered me at times. I felt like the book hinted at so many areas for growth potential, but only a few of them were actually realized. In that way, she was a very relatable and real-seeming character, but her character arc left a little to be desired.

Final Thoughts: Despite my issues with the main character, this book proved to be an enjoyable read full of humor, heart, and real talk on feminist issues.

This is my first read by Heidi Pitlor.
Allie Lang is a ghostwriter. People who can’t write their own books hire Allie to write it for them. She doesn’t get all the fame from writing these books she only gets the money from the contracts; being a single mother this is a risky thing not knowing from one day to another about future contracts.
I was not captured by the story line or any of the characters, it was a slow read for me. I really wanted to enjoy it but it didn’t happen.
Thank you! Netgalley, Algonquin for this chance to participate in this Blog Tour and Heidi Pitlor for this e-arc in exchange of an honest review

This character driven book works. Perhaps, it is the time period, Allie's joy in motherhood, the constant balancing act, ghostwriting as a subject, or insight into the publishing world from an author who has long been part of the industry. Mostly, though, I think it is the way Allie's character is drawn. Allie, in all her imperfections, becomes a character I relate to.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/08/impersonation.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher's blog tour.

Thank you Algonquin Books for this free eARC!

Impersonation is about Allie who is a professional ghostwriter among many other jobs she takes on to pay her bills. Allie has complicated relationships with everyone in her life and she’s what some people consider a “hot mess,” but it’s totally relatable. I know what it’s like to be a single mom to a boy so that part of her story really hit home for me.

I really enjoyed this book! Besides being about motherhood, politics, and the publishing world, it weaved in topics like classism, feminism, having a biracial child, and the Me Too movement without them feeling forced. 4.5 stars!

I definitely recommend checking out Impersonation especially if you ever struggle with asking for what you deserve.

Impersonation starts with a single mother is barely holding on, juggling ghostwriting gigs, when along comes a famous feminist lawyer that needs a book to be ghostwritten. It's filled with themes of the challenges of motherhood, the #MeToo movement, and a bit of self-help/remaking vibe. It took me a little bit to get into the book and really understand the characters, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

You'll like this book if you liked Writers & Lovers! Character-driven novels can be hit or miss for me, but a ghost-writer working with a high-profile feminist lawyer is so up my alley and I enjoyed this one. At times I felt that the characters were a little bit one-dimensional - falling into the trope of a powerful woman not able to also be a good mom - but I loved the character arc of Allie who became more comfortable with feminist ideas the longer she worked with Lana. The book is set around the 2016 election which only amplifies the importance of feminism and is a good reminder going into the 2020 election.

Impersonation touches upon many relevant issues, some of which have been going on for a long time and some even more relatable because of our world situation that is happening now. This is a story about a ghostwriter but it becomes more than just that. It is about ambition, motherhood, class, and feminism all coming together.

3.5 Stars rounded up for the thoughts raised by the book and sheer page turnability! The idea of reading about a ghostwriter was irresistible to me and I found it so fun and interesting. I got a lot of chuckles from her mother’s insistent guessing of her client... Hillary Clinton? Meryl Streep? Oprah?! This one covers a lot of timely issues but delivers it all in a light and often funny package: feminist parenting, gender roles, Me Too, politics, the 2016 election, class, balancing artistic passions and financial priorities... it’s all here but isn’t overwhelming.

It's undoubtedly fiction, but at times there are some self-help vibes as we witness Allie’s process researching for and writing the memoir, but I enjoyed this aspect! It hits the sweet spot of making you think yet reading easily and enjoyably.

After closing the book I thought a lot about judgment and what we do to change or meet expectations. The message here is all about authenticity and empowerment. I loved the writing style and though it’s more of a slice of life book, the plot kept me hooked and reading late into the night!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Algonquin Books, and Heidi Pitlor for the opportunity to read and review her very relevant novel in these strange political times - 4 stars!

Allie is a ghostwriter, penning memoirs for celebrities and politicians. Her client, a famous actor, was just charged with crimes against his coworkers and she lost that contract. Her new client is a well-known feminist lawyer and activist and she is charged with writing a book on how to raise feminist boys. But Allie struggles getting any information from Lana for the book and meanwhile her bills keep piling up and her personal life is unsettled. With no solid direction, Allie uses her experiences as a single mom to Cass to help bolster Lana's image. But their two worlds are vastly different - Lana always had money and never worried about the issues that plague Allie.

This would be a good book club selection because it is full of so many topics - the #MeToo movement, how women are judged for the decisions they make no matter what they are, gender inequality, and the disparity of the classes. Allie was such a good character - she tried so hard to be a good mom to Cass but trying to do it all on her own is so hard. She respected Cass' differences and tried to stand up for him but she had a hard time standing up for herself. And how many of us do that? Do we demand to be paid what we are worth? Or do we settle for whatever someone else deems we are worth? Do we ask for help from others when we need it or do we just try to do it all ourselves?

I also really enjoyed the whole topic of ghostwriting. I'm now questioning all those memoirs I've seen and read - who actually wrote them?

Few would argue being a single working mom is not easy. As someone who raised two sons while working two jobs I felt every frustration, every high and low that our protagonist experiences during the world changing time between 2016 and 2017.

In Impersonation by Heidi Pitlor 37 year old Allie Lang is the single mother of a 5 year old bi racial son. She gives up a lucrative job realizing she was never really part of the "boys club" and that sexual harassment in the work place is very much in existence.

Allie becomes a ghostwriter for famous people's memoirs. She keeps their secrets and turns their stories into life lessons that the public loves to read. She is struggling financially as jobs are few and her agent gets 15 percent of her pay.

Along comes feminist lawyer Lana Breban planning to run for office and needing a softening of her image as a strong opinionated woman. Allie is hired to help write a book on Lana's life as a working mother rasing a son in today's world. The problem is it's Lana's nanny who is really taking care of her son. As Allie tries to find a way to tell Lana's story without harming her image she herself struggles with finding safe child care, getting caught up on the rent, her boyfriend taking off to find himself, and a 2016 election night that was surreal to say the least.

This story is not so much plot driven as character driven which is actually a nice change of pace. The real world events from the election to women marches to the #MeToo movement adds realism to Allie's life struggles and triumphs.

I flew through this book. The author's words flow like a conversation among friends and Allie is definitely someone I would befriend.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm really confused by this book. I'm not sure if the author is trying to tear down liberals and feminism or show how hard it is to do everything right. Part of me doesn't like this book because of how angry it made me feel, at both Allie and Lana. The way Lana uses Allie and Allie's inability to stand up for herself paints feminists in a bad light; like we're liars and out to use people. But then a good book will make you feel emotions and anger is an emotion.

So conflicted. I need someone else I know to read this so we can talk about it. This book would be perfect for book clubs; lots to unpack and discuss.

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Story: 4 stars
Character Development: 4 stars
Writing: 4 stars

Impersonation is a great title for a book about ghostwriting, although, I am embarrassed to say, it took me a little while to make the connection. Allie is a struggling single mother whose ghostwriting career is interesting but provides little income. When she’s asked to ghostwrite a book for a famous feminist she thinks her life is turning around, but so many hurtles appear in her life, it becomes even more difficult and she realizes she has to stand up for herself. As I read it, I thought that this really was something that could happen in the age of Trump. It made me sad to think that this is what is happening in our country.

Allie is a single mother who works as a ghostwriter for celebrities, politicians, and others. The downside to being a ghostwriter is she doesn’t get paid very much and she can’t disclose that she actually wrote the book. Her latest client, Lana, is a lawyer and women’s activist who wants help writing a book about raising boys to be feminists. The problem is that Lana is not very forthcoming with information for Allie to use in the book. Allie finds herself drawing on her own experience as a mother to a son. But as a writer for hire, Allie has gotten too used to being accommodating. At what point will she speak up for all that she deserves?

This is a character driven novel and Allie is a fascinating character. She is imperfect and struggling to be enough--to her job, her clients, her son, and herself. Throughout the book. I was pulling for Allie to speak up for herself and finally get what she deserves. In the end, Allie does stick up for herself, but in the end I still think she could have been more assertive.

Part of this novel takes place during the 2016 presidential election campaign. It was interesting revisiting all of the things that came out in the presidential campaign that year. I remember watching the election returns late into the night and waking up in the morning to the news that Trump was elected president. I took that journey again along with Allie and could relate to her outrage and confusion over what had just happened!

One complaint I had with this novel is that it dealt with so many, and in my opinion, too many issues (single mother, metoo movement, politics, feminism, access to healthcare, working mothers, access to reliable child care, and so much more). I think there were too many issues to sufficiently wrap up in the end. I really wanted to hear more about Cass’s father and was left wondering how that was all going to play out.

This novel wasn’t just about heavy, deep topics. There were some funny and relatable moments for me as a mother of sons.

I recommend this if you like reading about politics (especially political campaigns), motherhood, or just current events in general. 3.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.