This snippet comes from page 85 of the ARC. And since I'm quoting an advance copy, please remember that the published edition might be different (I've never had that happen, but in theory...you never know). So, here we go:
"Carol, why didn't you correct Morris just now when he called you Lena?"Poor guy. Poor girl.
"Oh, it's not that important."
"It's your name, Carol, of course it's important."
..."Russell, it's just that" -- she takes a deep breath and says it quickly, quietly, on the exhale -- "my name is Lena."
This exchange really resonated with me because I've always had that problem of people calling me by some name that's not my own. Usually when they hear "Joy" they think "Joyce" -- so over the years I've learned to answer to Joyce a lot of the time. Or Jane. Or Joan. Or Jill. Sometimes it's just not worth correcting. Although that has occasionally led to rather surreal incidents. For a while I did temporary office work in Washington DC, and at one of my assignments one of the junior execs invariably called me Amy. Even though I did correct him repeatedly. But after a while I got fed up and just answered to Amy. Then one day he upped the weirdness level by saying, with a perfectly straight face, "You know, you really don't look like an Amy." Fortunately, that temp job ended soon after, before we had more encounters of the bizarro variety.
And I think I actually DO look sort of like an Amy. I wonder if Amy Rowland ever gets called JOY?
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by mizB at Should Be Reading. If you'd like to read more teasers, or take part yourself, just head on over to her blog.
And please feel free to leave me a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in your comment here.
This sounds really interesting. I definitely want to know more! Here's my Teaser Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your Teaser. For some strange reason, some people have thought my name was Nancy instead of Sandy! I've never understood how that could happen.
ReplyDeleteMy Teaser is from NOT THE MARRYING KIND.
Good teaser and related story. WHile in high school, my sister and I worked at the same place. One of the managers could never keep our names straight. One day I could hear her calling my sister's name. When she eventually came over to me and asked if I couldn't hear her calling me. I replied that I heard her call my sister, but not me. "Whatever. You know I was calling you." "No," I said, "I didn't. That's not my name and I do not answer to it." She never mixed us up again. My teaser: Clobbered by Camembert
ReplyDeleteI'm confused.... who is she really?! Great teaser!
ReplyDeleteWhat?? You mean your name isn't Joanie? Hmmm...
ReplyDelete