Book Reviews
The Floater
This book introduces readers to modern-day hero Norma Reyes. A recent law school graduate – and a middle aged Hispanic woman tasked with providing for her ailing mother – Norma is desperate to find a job when she accepts a position as a rotating secretary, or “floater,” at a top New York City law firm. Though her title conjures up the image of something distasteful bobbing in a commode, Norma hopes the position will keep her afloat until the economy improves and she can find a job using her degree.
The Floater
356 pp. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
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Norma’s luck appears to improve when she meets Oscar, the firm’s charismatic copy room supervisor. Despite her misgivings about beginning an interracial relationship with an African-American divorcé, Norma finds herself drawn to him. Then, Oscar hands Norma her smoking gun: An incriminating interoffice memo reveals overt age and racial discrimination kept Norma from being hired as an attorney.
Norma dreads the prospect of taking on the firm’s intimidating inner circle, but Oscar’s plainspoken integrity and love help her find the inner strength she needs to rally. In the process, Norma realizes if she wants to hang on to a man like Oscar, it’s not enough to fight the powers that be. She must also confront unresolved personal demons within.
A love story set against the contemporary backdrop of an ailing economy, The Floater will resonate with women of all ages, paralegals, administrative assistants, recent grads, and the millions of unemployed Americans dealing with a brutal job market. Themes explored in the book include:
- Racial barriers, gender roles, and ageism in today’s workplaces
- The economy’s impact on the day-to-day lives of ordinary people
- The hidden costs of the American Dream
