Book Description

Shopping for Love is a memoir written by first-time author Rachel Levy Lesser. It tells the story of Lesser’s life through vignettes of her shopping experiences with her grandmother, aunt, and mother over the course of twenty-five years. Shopping was a long-standing tradition in Lesser ́s family, and it became a gift for her mother throughout her long battle with cancer, in fact, extending the quality and quantity of her mother’s life. It is written with humor through a daughter’s eyes and her understanding of life and its joys and sorrows. The vignettes are laid out in chronological order, and each one of them weaves a story about family members and imparts important lessons learned along the way. The Devil Wears Prada meets Tuesdays with Morrie in this heartfelt, humorous journey of a daughter coming to terms with her young mother’s mortality, the strength she found in the example her mother set, and the hope they discovered together in the ladies’ dressing room. Readers will laugh through their tears and identify with the bond that every daughter has with her mother, and each mother with her daughter too. They will be transported to the dressy shoe floor at Neiman Marcus, the Trish McEvoy makeup counter at Henri Bendel’s, and then back to the chemotherapy treatment room at Jefferson University Hospital. Lesser’s story reminds us that it is the little moments that often hold the most meaning and memory. Early Praise for Shopping for Love "In this delightful book, shopping becomes a metaphor for the journey through life during which generations of one family meet and celebrate life ́s milestones and learn to face the inevitable grief of loss." - Paula Deitz, Editor, The Hudson Review "This humorous and heartfelt memoir will immediately draw you in, and you’ll be smiling through your tears until finishing that last page. Rachel Levy Lesser is a wonderfully gifted storyteller; this tale will run like a movie through your mind. It reminds us of what is most precious in our lives, and gives the gift of true appreciation of sharing treasured moments with those we love." - Melanie C. Kaplan, LSW Program Coordinator, Gilda’s Club Delaware Valley