In Impersonation, Pitlor follows Allie, a ghostwriter, who is tasked with writing the memoir of Lana Brebane, a successful feminist activist, focusing on her role as a mother, and raising a feminist boy. This novel takes place in the shadow of the 2016 election and its repercussions, which informs a lot of Allie’s mental conflict. She is constantly wondering how to be a good mother, earn enough money for her family, yet maintain her liberal, feminist values. Pitlor’s writing captures Allie’s mental hurdles really well, and this novel is a great character study that kept me hooked.

However, I found issue with the representation of feminism throughout the entire book. Lana represents this ideal feminist figure in the story, yet the version of feminism she spouts is one that is all talk, no action, and is not inclusive to race, class, ability, or sexuality. Lana constantly pulls these bizarre stunts in the name of feminism and trots out facts about minority groups, yet seems to do nothing to support these groups. It is a version of feminism that is not inclusive, and feels pretty outdated now. I wanted Allie to rebel against Lana’s vision and power over her, yet Allie constantly rolls over and justifies Lana’s behavior, even when she is blatantly manipulating Allie. Lana really bothered me—she seems to constantly gaslight Allie and take advantage of her in a variety of ways. I am sad that Allie was never given the chance to really own her story and come out from under Lana’s thumb.

I do think there are really interesting discussions of motherhood and success, and how one might define both, throughout this story. The parts I enjoyed the most were when Allie was ruminating on her own goals, and how she wanted to live her life with her son, Cass, and her partner, Kurt. The comparison between Lana and Allie’s versions of motherhood and partnership were stark, and I think this would make great material for a book club discussion. While I did have a big issue with the central message of this book, I’d be curious to see what Pitlor comes out with in the future.

This book gives the reader an inside look at a single mother raising a child on the edge of poverty doing the best she can. It is a bit frightening and when Ally lets slip to her mother who she is ghostwriting for, I worried the rest of the time until that it would come out. I thought to myself that this is what Ally must feel like every day of her life as one thing goes wrong and her life blows up. It was very uncomfortable, but I'm sure there are many women (and maybe some men) that are juggling pieces and hoping that nothing falls down. It also gave me an insight into the ghostwriting industry, which was interesting to me. And lastly the setting is western Massachusetts, one of my favorite places, so some of the places she described I have been to, which made it more personal.

My first impression of Impersonation was this book is intellectual, yet accessible. I really enjoyed the discussions around how to raise sons outside of harmful gender norms and how feminist mothers can look like a variety of different things. This book definitely makes significant contributions in those areas. The plot was enticing - I almost didn't want to know what was going to next befall Allie and Cass - and while I didn't really like Allie, I could certainly empathize with her. I think mothers - particularly mothers of boys - will have a lot to reflect on in this book. Pitlor is an obviously talented writer, giving us not only this book but a book-within-a-book, as we get chunks of the book that Allie is ghostwriting for Lana.

With the 2016 presidential election and the immediate aftermath as a very visible background of the storyline, I hoped we were going to reach the point of critically reflecting on Lana's persona as a privileged, public feminist figure. However, at multiple junctures where Allie could have chosen otherwise, she chooses to side with Lana and deepen her admiration of her. Ultimately I felt disappointed that the book seemed to be endorsing Lana's particular brand of white, exclusionary, extortionist feminism, rather than criticizing it. The book seemed to be condoning that kind of feminism in the face of the greater evil of Trump. I just couldn't get behind that.

A fantastic book about the publishing industry, ghostwriting, motherhood, and politics. Heidi Pitlor's IMPERSONATION will keep you hooked with the jaw-dropping reveals about how political memoirs are often written. Weaving in actual current events with compelling characters, this is a multi-layered novel that becomes even more impressive upon further reflection (and fans of Virginia Woolf's TO THE LIGHTHOUSE will benefit from an added layer of depth).

I read Heidi Pitlor first book back in March. I had found it a little odd stylistically but the subject matter--a wife disappears--was interesting and dealt with in a serious fashion that this current trend to the sensational in publishing rarely seems to do well.
This book is about another woman on the margins of middle-class life but in a different way. Allie Lang is a professional ghostwriter and single mother. After a man who's memoir she is nearly finished writing is accused of sexual assault, she finds herself out of a job and low on cash. She gets picked to ghostwrite the parenting memoir of a famous feminist right around the time of the Trump election. You'd think that would be easier but the subject refuses to give Allie any material to work with so Allie increasingly adds details to the memoir from her own single motherhood, a move that ultimately proves explosive. </p>


I loved the parts about being a working-class writer. As the author of several cookbooks, I know you do not make as much money writing books as you would think and that you are paid in small chunks until the book is completed. I also had a book pulled years ago over an issue totally unrelated to me and only ended up with a kill fee and not the several more thousand dollars my contract was for. I can only imagine how much worse that is as a single mother. I did not relate to Allie's personality much, she was very passive and unsure of herself for most of the book but I really did relate to her situation and felt like the book did an excellent job of illustrating the actual work of the every day freelance writer. Spoiler: it's not as well paying and glamorous as it may seem.
I felt like the book faltered a bit at the end. Allie took the blame for something that I didn't feel was entirely her fault. I liked the acceptance that even in progressive, feminist circles those in power step over everyone else to get there and that even those who seem to have it all, clearly don't. I loved the first 7/8th of the book but that last bit just seemed forced--the working on the campaign part was rushed and I had to read a couple passages twice to understand what exactly had happened, something I rarely have to do. A lot happened in a very short period of time and then the book just ended. </p>

Allie Lang us a ghostwriter. who also does landscaping to get by in the Berkshires. She has a 4 year old son, and a sometimes boyfriend who lives in her basement. Two of her writing contracts go wrong, and the story is just riveting. Well written, lots of humor, relatable characters.

This is a fun read with a message. The author makes it so clear that women have to choose what roles to play...mother or career? And in this case, the mother makes a career out of trying to turn a career woman into a mother in order for her to advance her career. Clearly neither woman is rewarded by her choices. The single parent struggles to make financial ends meet, and the successful career woman attempts to reclaim the mother role (at least superficially) to appear genuine. There is humor, pathos, and triumph in this easy read, and women of any age will relate.

Gave this one a fighting chance as I was excited for it based on the description and reviews; I hate to say I didn’t see the appeal. Maybe bad timing for me.