Book review: 'The Lion is In' is a silly summer read

Rating: 2.5/5

“The Lion is In,” written by Delia Ephron, is a heartwarming, adorable and rather silly book that is a perfect fit for those looking for a light summer read.

The novel tells the story of three women, each of them running from something in their past, who end up stranded in a small town in the middle of nowhere because they wrecked their car. Unable to afford to repair costs, the three women must work in a bar called The Lion until they have enough money to fix their car and leave.

In this bar, they meet Marcel, an actual lion, and each woman develops a connection with the great beast.

The novel begins with the two younger girls, Tracee and Lana, stopped on the side of the road because their car has a flat. Tracee is wearing a white wedding dress, which gives the reader a clue as to what she might be running from.

The third older woman, Rita, comes walking along to road and offers to help them. Then Lana offers her a ride. Later on, Tracee falls asleep while driving and runs the car into a guardrail. They take shelter for the night in The Lion, and that is where they first meet Marcel.

The premise of the book is rather silly, so the book comes across in the same way. Even though the women have dealt with some very serious issues in their past, the overall tone of the book is cute and silly rather than serious.

A lion helping these women discover self-acceptance is kind of ridiculous but it is certainly quite adorable. The relationship that Rita builds with Marcel is beautiful because she feels such a deep connection to him.

The three women’s pasts are much more compelling than the story that is happening in the present. In fact, it was the slow revelation of their pasts that kept me reading. I was much more interested in why the women were running away than what they did in the small town that they came to.

The simple writing of the book makes it a very quick read, but unfortunately, that also adds to the silly feeling of the book. It is certainly not challenging in any way.

The relationship the three women develop with one another is one of the best parts of the book. These women really develop a deep connection with one another through their experiences working at The Lion. Their relationship goes through some struggles during the book, but when they make it through those struggles, it is even more heartwarming.

Overall, the book tells a nice little story that is entertaining, but it is very simple and, at times, is rather ridiculous. It would be a great book to start off your light summer reading.

Sarah Wilson is an English literature senior.

Sarah Wilson

Sarah is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Life & Arts Reporter.