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Sep 03, 2014campingmomma rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I have to say I would really give this book 3 1/2 stars. I didn't just like it, I liked it a lot. 2 a.m. at The Cat's Pajamas was really three stories within a story. The first story of young Madeleine Altimari is the story from which all other stories stem. She is a 9 (almost 10) year old whose mother has recently died from cancer and is looked out for by several neighbors because her father is too wrapped up in the loss of his wife to care for her properly. Madeleine wants to be a jazz singer and practices her singing daily. The story of Madeleine's fifth-grade teacher Sarina Greene, recently divorced and starting a new life in Philly, is the second intertwining story. And the last story is about Lorca, owner of a failing jazz club, The Cat's Pajamas where Madeleine aspires to sing one day. The book follows the lives of these three characters on Christmas Eve Eve. The prose was excellent in this book. It was a free flowing and engaging read. I will say while the author did tie in all of the numerous characters in this book well I did find myself having to look back a few times to remember how they fit in as there were so many of them. I am a little sad the jazz references were lost on me as I'm sure they made the book a more enjoyable read. Lastly, I was a little confused with the ending involving one of the secondary characters. I wish someone could explain it to me, but it would result in a spoiler and wasn't necessary for me to understand and enjoy the rest of the book.